


Coming Out from Darkness

by blueqyuubi



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: FisrtTimeWriting!, Jaehwan centered fic, Love is hard, M/M, Setting: Combination of Avatar the legend of Aang and Attack on the Titan, Slow Burn, Superpower!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 10:26:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12746463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueqyuubi/pseuds/blueqyuubi
Summary: It was always darkness without sense of being surrounding Jaehwan. But when the time comes, he has to face the responsibilities from things that he's done without his own free will.





	1. The Raging Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mapachi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mapachi/gifts).



> It's started with 'If there is so little fanfic with Jaehwan as the main character I should as well make my own fic!'. So I wrote this, for the first time I try to wrote an idea that had been swirling in my head for a little while. The first chapter is only the beginning, though I already had a rough plan, how this fic will flows out. And yeah, the tittle is really lame. I really appreciate any comment, suggestion, or mindful critics. Off you go!  
> Also, pardon the grammar, English isn't my mother languange.

Jaehwan didn’t know.

  
What is the start?

  
What is the beginning?

  
Or what is the end.

  
Did _this_ even has an end?

He is surrounded by the blackness without no edge.

  
‘Here’ there is no sound, or pain, or memories.

  
He should have not feeling anything. Or even have a sense of being.

  
“Jaehwan…” a soft voice is calling for him.

A presence nudges his mind. Softly, like it was afraid to break him.

  
“Jaehwan… That’s your name right? It’s time to wake up” He tried to concentrate, where is the sound comes from?  
\---

 

  
“JAEHWAN!!! QUICKLY! HERE!” In this blizzard, he tried to focusing his gaze. He heard his friend, Seongwoo, calling from his front right, but he can’t clearly see him.

  
“Seongwooo! Wait…” His clothes are wet and cold. But the coldness is not what bothers him. The coldness never bothers him. It is the wet, heavy clothes that he should wear for protection, sticking into him and disturb his movement.

  
“WHEN I SAID WE NEED DISTRACTION, I DON’T MEAN THIS BLIZZARD!” He can finally see Seongwoo, who is with a pathetic attempt trying so hard to stand as the wind blowing him from all direction.

“I CAN’T EVEN SEE WHAT IS IN FRONT OF ME! HOW DID WE EVEN FIND THE STATUE? HOW DID WE EVEN FIND HIM? TRY TO PUT IT DOWN” If the weather is not that cold, Seongwoo’s face and neck must be red already.

  
“You know I can’t!! I’ve never actually use my power outside. Look, at least the soldier can’t chase us anymore” Jaehwan with a great effort approaches Seongwoo. The thick snows keep on drowning his boots and seems like it refuse to let him go.

  
“WHAT? I CAN’T HEAR YOU! SPEAK LOUDER” Seongwoo is now heaving. The cold surrounding them drowns his energy. He is never good with coldness. “YOU KNOW WHAT, WHATEVER! TRY TO CONTROL IT!” For a short moment, Seongwoo tugs Jaehwan’s jacket sleeves hard, pulling him out from the snow. After that he quickly releases the sleeve and walk in front of him. Both of them walk slowly, trying to break through the unending snow field.

  
“DO YOU THINK I HAVEN’T TRIED THAT??!!” Barely shrieking, Jaehwan now is also frustrated. His body aching, he’s not yet accustomed with physical exertion and they had been walking for 2 hours now. In addition to that, he was ejecting his power to bring up the blizzard. They managed to put up a distance between them and the soldiers who had been pursuing him closely. But his control to his power is still very poor. He can’t stop the blizzard from getting harsher and harsher. Seongwoo can melt some of the snow so that they can walk easier before, but now he is almost losing his energy too and can only keep his power to make himself warm.

  
Jaehwan surveys his surroundings. There still like miles and miles field of snow ahead of them. There are no sign of anything ahead of them. It is just pure white of snows. He tries to remember what Jisung said to them.

  
_Jaehwan-ah, we have to go our separate way now. But I promise you we will meet again. Now go with Seongwoo to the statue near the delta river. He knows where it is don’t you worry. You’ll meet the transporter. I promise you we will meet for real. Now Go!_

  
“I CAN SEE THE STATUE! IT’S NOT FAR! COME ON JAEHWAN-AH!” His distance and Seongwoo becomes farther away once again, as Seongwoo running towards the statue.

Jaehwan pulls his leg up and tried to run too, he doesn’t want to become a hindrance any further to Seongwoo. That boy had done many things for him.  
As he gets closer to Seongwoo, something caught his feet and made him fall harshly in the snow.

  
“JAEHWAN! ARE YOU OKAY?” Seongwoo runs back towards him after hearing his fall.

  
Jaehwan get back to his feet slowly and observes the thing behind him that makes him fall.

  
Then he realized. It is not a thing.

  
It is a human body, clads in a black uniform and brown cloak, burrowed in the snow. He saw blood seeping under the body, the blood had becomes brown. Panicked, Jaehwan calls Seongwoo, who immediately come to him. Jaehwan doesn’t need to say anything for Seongwoo to understand. Seongwoo nodded, and turn the body around.

  
It is the body of a man, in early twenty, with a blonde hair, and wears a google in his head. The man is very fair looking and his face is so pale, and his lips almost blue.

  
Seeing a gold badge with a silver tree in his chest, Seongwoo immediately let the man go like it burns him, stand up, and spit to ground.

  
“He is a soldier, let’s go Jaehwan” Seongwoo growled and pulls Jaehwan’s clock.

  
“What? No, he’s not wearing the same uniform with the soldiers _there_ and he’s different from the one who are pursuing us. He might be still alive, Seongwoo, check him.” Jaehwan refuses to be pulled by Seongwoo, on the contrary he bends his body over to look at the man closely, without touching him.

  
“What do you know, kid? He’s wearing that same damn badge. He must be also a soldier” Seongwoo’s voice is now urgent. They can’t waste more time here. The statue is close, and if they don’t come on the promised time, the transporter may leave them behind.

  
Suddenly, the man lets out a low grumble, and his body was shaking.

  
“He’s alive. I won’t leave him” Jaehwan stares at Seongwoo. His eyes are hard, no compromise, that’s what his eyes said.

  
“Hwan-ah, he’s as good as dead. Have you looked at his wound? And in this weather? He’ll have no chance to live.” Seongwoo’s voice is softer now. He’s surprised that Jaehwan can rebels him like that.

  
“That is exactly why. This storm comes because of me. If the storm didn’t come someone may come and save him, right?” Jaehwan stares directly to Seongwoo’s, who is then avoiding his stare.

  
“We didn’t know Hwan-ah. He’s still a soldier. The fact that he’s got shot _in this very area_ makes it even more suspicious” Seongwoo still stands on his opinion, his face is hard.

  
“If you don’t want to help him, I won't go as well. You know I can’t be the one who carries him nor can I stop the snow. I don’t want to burden you any further. You can leave us here” Jaehwan is now sitting on the snow, beside the man.

  
“Hwan-ah…” Seongwoo is startled, his voice is wavering. Jaehwan only needs to say that word…

  
“Please, hyung… I don’t want to feel guilty, knowing I can do something to change it but still do nothing” Jaehwan stands now, still eyeing Seongwoo.

  
That’s it. He knows already he’ll lose.

  
“Argghhh!! For a kid who had just ‘waking up’, How can you be self-righteous like that. It’s annoying. Who even teach you. I will hit you good when we arrived.” Seongwoo growled. He then picks the man up, who is now coughing softly, heaving, his eyes still closed, but his face now has a bit red in them. The man was really heavy, Seongwoo thinks, and eventhough he has a lean built, he is taller than him.

  
“If you can do that, I’ll be happy to accept your punches” Jaehwan smiles sadly.

  
Seongwoo pretending he didn’t hear Jaehwan’s word. “Let’s go Jaehwan, We can’t lose more time.” Heaving the man’s body, Seongwoo walk again, this time slower.

  
Jaehwan’s face lit up “Lasss go!” He catches Seongwoo up, and cackling. Seongwoo only lets out a low grumble. He didn't sign up for this.

Now they are walking side by side, going through the raging snow.


	2. The Expectedly Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly he heard one of the soldiers said “Stop. Or I’ll shoot him” and point his guns towards Jaehwan.  
> Seongwoo's body is numb; he can’t possibly make any movements that will put Jaehwan in a greater danger. So he let a soldier hits him hard with the tip of the rifle.  
> He feels his Jaw is breaking, and the tangy taste of iron feeling his mouth. That soldier then puts a shackle in his hand, and he senses all his power is being sucked.  
> All hope is lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after I was posted the first chapter, I just realized that there's only a very subtle hint of Minhyun in the first chapter, when I'm very clearly stated that it would be centered on Minhyun and Jaehwan. Minhyun will not appear that much in this chapter either. I'm sorry.

“LOOK! THE FOUNDER’S STATUE IS VERY NEAR JAEHWAN! WE BETTER GO THERE QUICKLY” Seongwoo is screaming again. The snowstorm still raging around them, even though now it has become lesser and lesser. He fixes the position of the man he carries, the man’s body repeatedly slips off from his grip. He basically has no energy left anymore and the man is really heavy. “Founder my ass. More like the destroyer or the lord of the calamity” muttered Seongwoo under his breath.

He can hear the soft thud of Jaehwan’s shoes in the snow. He is once again few steps behind him. But hearing his soft chuckle, makes Seongwoo feels that his burden seems lighter. In the snow, Jaehwan can still hear him muttering. Checking how Jaehwan’s condition, Seongwoo turn his head backward.

“Seongwoo…” Jaehwan is about to say something to him when many things started to happen at once.

A bullet shot through Jaehwan’s right shoulder and piercing Seongwoo's left cheek. Jaehwan’s blood spluttered in the snow under him, painting the snow with a crimson red. “Aaakkkhhhh…!!!” Jaehwan is screaming so loud. And pain clearly painted on his face. Like a slow motion in Seongwoo’s eyes, Jaehwan’s body fall of to the snow like a doll which needle had been cut.

All Seongwoo can see and think is _red_ , _red_ , _red_ , and _Jaehwan_ , _Jaehwan_ , _Jaehwan_. 

Without much thought, he throws the man’s body to the snow and runs with all of his might towards Jaehwan. All his tiredness in his body disappearing, and he can only feel a cold feeling seeping into his body, towards his heart, and all he can think is if Jaehwan’s safe.

With a hard effort, Jaehwan lifts up his body, and he stretches his left hands. His message towards Seongwoo is clear: Don’t come near.

Seongwoo halts in his place. Jaehwan is right. The sudden fear for Jaehwan's safety made him forget about his own safety. 

His eyes then roaming, screening their surroundings.

And it happened again.

This time a loud hissing is piercing through the air, followed by a loud blast of a huge metal bomb cracking the stillness around them. He feels like his body is being thrown into the air, the world surrounding him spinning. Snow and dirt are all flying, the world is whirling around, and then he dropped to the ground with a loud crack and sharp pain all over his body.

Even though he feels the agony, he opens his eyes slowly; through his bleary eyes he can see Jaehwan’s unmoving body slumped with a weird angle a few meters from him, and somehow, the blonde man’s body is sprawled near Jaehwan’s. Dirt and snow are scattered, covering both bodies.

Loud thumping sounds of metal boots of soldiers making a circle surrounding them fill his hearing. 

Argentum's soldier.

Seongwoo can feel the fear and dread, heavy in his heart.

They are wearing a thick white fur uniform with silver stripes in their arms and white fur cap with a black visor covering their eyes. The uniform is adorned with three silver stars in the right chest and a gleaming gold badge with a silver tree in their chest. 

They are the soldier who had been pursuing them since from the prison. Seongwoo counts in his head, there are ten soldiers in total, and all of them are standing still now, pointing their gun towards Seongwoo, Jaehwan and the blonde man.     

The snowing had stopped and for a second the world feels like it is drowning in silence.

_The snow had stopped_. 

_It could only mean that Jaehwan is unconscious, or even worse, dead now._

He feels an unbearable anger coursing through his body. His blood, both literally and figuratively, is boiling.

They made a grave mistake. No one fires a fire. Whoever dares to play with the fire, he will make sure their world burns.

Seongwoo musters all of his energy to both of his hands. And then, with a quick move, he conjures fire from his hands and shooting fireballs towards the soldiers. 

Blearing, banging, blasting, fireballs coursing are surroundings the soldiers and sent shockwaves through them. Now it is the soldiers turns to be lifted and flying from the ground. 

The smell of an acrid burning and billowing smokes and fire pumps his heart quicker, his head becomes lighter, adrenaline streaming through his body.

He stands on the ground, his eyes screening. His fireball managed to hit some of the soldiers, but his aim is off, some of them aren’t affected at all and now they are hiding behind rocks that he can’t see before because of the harsh snow.

The soldiers are firing their bullets towards him. Without even looking, Seongwoo firing the fireballs again runs as fast as he can and hiding behind other rocks. Jaehwan becomes far away from him, still slumping, unmoving, between him and the soldiers.

_No_. 

Jaehwan is no longer unmoving. His body is trembling, and Seongwoo detects a little movement from him. Still lying down, he holds his right shoulder where it had been shot, with his left hand.

There’s nothing Seongwoo ever wanted in the world than approaches Jaehwan and bring him to a safer place.

The soldier had not realized Jaehwan’s movement, so Seongwoo once again shooting the fireball, this time his aiming for the soldiers carefully. And without waiting any longer, he runs towards Jaehwan.

But a loud shoot then sounded. He feels an instant excruciating pain from his left legs coursing through his body. Not being able to support his body any longer, he is falling to the snow, blood oozing out from his leg, pooling around him.

But Seongwoo doesn't give up, he tries to conjure fire again in his hands. 

Suddenly he heard one of the soldiers said “Stop. Or I’ll shoot him” and point his guns towards Jaehwan.         

Seongwoo's body is numb; he can’t possibly make any movements that will put Jaehwan in a greater danger. So he let a soldier hits him hard with the tip of the rifle. 

He feels his Jaw is breaking, and the tangy taste of iron feeling his mouth. That soldier then puts a shackle in his hand, and he senses all his power is being sucked.

_All hope is lost._

\------------------------  

 Jaehwan opens his eyes slowly. His body is trembling, ache to take over his body, like it had been pinned with a thousand of needles.

_Not something I’ve never encountered before_. He’s somberly thinking.

 His rights hand is also positioned in an awkward position. _Now that’s new_. But the most unbearable pain is coming from his right shoulder, which is now not only wet because of snows, but also blood, Jaehwan realizes.   

So he conjures the remains of his power, and with his right hands, he froze his right shoulder.

He then heard more blast and bangs, sounds of people who are screaming, and heat wave engulfing his body. Then a loud shoot, followed by a wail of agony.

The wail of Seongwoo.

_Seongwoo_

_Seongwoo_

Jaehwan sees with horror the scene in front of him: Seongwoo is lying on the snow, breathing irregularly, with blood pooling around his legs. But his eyes and jaw set hard, he’s still not giving up. 

And then Jaehwan heard a soldier approaches him, pointing a gun at his head “Stop. Or I’ll shoot him”.

With desperation he sees Seongwoo let himself being hit by one of the soldiers, and when the soldier put a bronze shackle with a black stone in one of its sides, he feels like he wants to scream. Seongwoo should have run! Abandon him! But he knows better than anyone that he wouldn’t ever do that.

 Once again he’s useless and burden. A bitter despair coursing through his stomach.

“Now you can’t do anything anymore.” The soldier then hit Seongwoo’s stomach with his metal boot. And once again, Seongwoo is wailing loudly.

“Look here. This fire punk was carrying him, wasn't he? You wouldn't belive it: A Soldier.” Jaehwan hears one of their attackers talking to his friend.

“Hwang Minhyun.” He heard other soldier crouching down, taking the blonde man’s badge and read the name that is written there. “I know it. This fucker must have helped them escaped. Fehlens are all scum and forever will be.” The soldier talks, full of venom in his voice, and he spits on the blonde man.

Enrage is an understatement for what Jaehwan is feeling right now. He had never felt that angry before.

_It is either us or them_

_It is either us or them_

_US OR THEM  
_

 

Jaehwan grabs the knee of the soldier who is pointing a gun at him. The soldier is not even looking at his direction. 

Then, a scream from the soldier who had kicked Seongwoo is heard, “AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH! MONSTER!! YOU’RE A MONSTER!” The soldier’s eyes are fixed on Jaehwan and grow wide with terror. Without looking back, he runs away from them.

The crouching soldier is taken aback by the reaction of his friend, standing and flipped his body, looking at Jaehwan with the same terror in his eyes. But it is too late. He can’t do anything to save his friend.

And it is too late for him too.

Suddenly, a masked man appears out of nowhere behind him with a thin black smoke. And before the said soldier could even run, Jaehwan saw a cold glint of a short sword dancing, followed by a short cry of pain and a low thud of a body falling to the ground.

The masked man sheaths his short sword and looked at him with his cold silver eyes “Are you Jaehwan? I’m Kai, the transporter” The strange man stretched his hand towards him to help him stand.

“Don’t touch me! I can stand by myself! Yes, I am” Jaehwan is quickly standing. His heart is beating so fast now; energy is thrumming in his body. There is no pain in his body any longer.   

The man who is wearing all-black attire and black wolf mask don’t say anything. His cold silver eyes resemble a deep lake, betray no emotion, but examine Jaehwan closely. His eyes is unnerving him. Moreover, even though the man had a lean built, he is taller than Seongwoo, and it feels like he radiates a black aura around him. 

But Jaehwan has no time to doubt him. At the very least he is a man with power, a Macht, and he looked the same with what Jisung had described to him and Seongwoo.

“My friend is hurting. He needs help” Jaehwan said as he runs to approach Seongwoo.

The man didn’t follow him, but a thin black smoke reappears beside him, as Jaehwan crouching beside Seongwoo.

“Are… you… okay?” Seongwoo asks him, as he tries to smile even though the pain is very apparent on his face and he said the words so hard, with gasping breaths.

“Don’t… stare at… me like that… I know I’m… fabulous…and you want… to… kiss me right…. But we’re outside…” And Seongwoo winked at him. The fool Seongwoo still tries to comfort him with his jokes, which makes Jaehwan even more ashamed of himself.

“Ya, Ongceongi!” Jaehwan finds his voice finally, trying to not sound shaken. Seongwoo looks so pale, the blood is literally flowing out from him and the shackle is draining his energy.

The masked man crouching beside Seongwoo as well, examine Seongwoo’s wounds. “You are a water bender, right? Use your power, froze the wounds. You know it will stop the blood” said the masked man with his rough voice. “And there’s that shackle too. The chains are made of bronze. It’s easy. Surrounds it with water, froze it, I’ll destroy it with my sword. And don’t touch the stone” he put out his black sword from its sheath again while talking so fast that Jaehwan can barely understands him.

“Quick! Don’t dally around!” the man glared at Jaehwan because Jaehwan was frozen in his place, unsure of what he should do.

“I can’t control my power! I will end up froze him completely!” Jaehwan’s is panicked, his eyes are full of dread.

_How can he… What will happen with Seongwoo… What if…_

“Are you still not waking up yet? Do you see anyone that can help you here?! I don’t ask for a brainless boy to be sent to me.” The man’s eyes are still as cold, but his voice is filled with disgust. “I can’t teleport with him if he still had that stone.”

“Hwan-ah… Hwan-ah…” Seongwoo is gasping again. But Jaehwan refuses to look at Seongwoo. “Look at me… Look… I trust… y-yyou. You…” Seongwoo smiles at him. “Close your…eyes. I know… you… can…”

Jaehwan is still very panicked, but he tried to follow Seongwoo's words.

Jaehwan closes his eyes. 

The blackness back again, surrounding him. He feels the stillness return.

He concentrates on the flow of energy, can be barely detected by anyone, dancing, bouncing.

Then he opens his eyes, with a trembling hands he puts his forefinger in Seongwoo’s wound and retracts it quickly. Instantly, the blood from the wound stop gushing out, a thin layer of ice is formed atop of it.

Jaehwan exhales loudly, then concentrating again, he touches the snow near Seongwoo’s hands. The water is melted by his touch, and forming a water bubble. Kai then held Seongwoo’s hand, as Jaehwan with difficulty makes the water surrounds the chain’s shackle, and froze it. Then, the sword is dancing again, and with hissing sounds, the shackle dropped to the ground and detached from Seongwoo’s hand. Almost instantly, Seongwoo’s face has its color again.

Gasping and slumping on the snow, Jaehwan tries to regain his energy. His head is hurting and keep spinning. But worrying about Seongwoo, he quickly soldiers on, and checks Seongwoo out.

“How is it?” Jaehwan asks Seongwoo worriedly.      

“Okay... I can move my hands now.” Although Seongwoo is no longer gasping, his voice is barely heard and still sounds breathless.

Then something caught Jaehwan’s eyes. Jaehwan stares Seongwoo’s wrists in horror, and then his head snaps, and he’s looking at Seongwoo’s right leg. His wrists and leg were becoming blue. 

Jaehwan feels nauseous suddenly. Feeling Jaehwan’s stare, Seongwoo quickly cover his wrists. “I like the blue color. It’s pretty” Seongwoo smiles sheepishly. “At least it’s not black, right?” Seongwoo stops himself from saying anything further after seeing Jaehwan’s eyes filled with more horror.

“Okay. Enough. I will teleport you both from here. I’m sure more soldiers will come. It’s weird that only ten soldiers pursue you two here. There are usually more when they're pursuing a Macht” Kai’s rough voice shocked Jaehwan.

“Wait. The blond soldier had been helping us escapes. Please bring him too” Jaehwan begs to Kai.

“The agreement is two persons only. I never know that I should take more people” Kai stared at him suspiciously and talk to Jaehwan like he said something that incredibly incredulous. 

Behind Kai, still sitting on the snow, Seongwoo is glaring at Jaehwan. _What are you talking about? We found him by chance._ He communicates with Jaehwan through his glaring. 

Jaehwan pays no attention to Seongwoo, he is glaring at Kai, refusing to back down first. “It’s impossible for us to escape without him. I won’t left him here to die, or something even worse” Jaehwan said with stable voice, though his heart actually betrays him, it is actually thumping loudly in his ribs and his nape shivers. Kai’s gaze feels like it piercing through his brain.

Without saying anything, Kai disappeared with a thin black smoke and appearing again in front of him. In his shoulder, there is the blonde soldier, slumping and still unconscious. His breathing is barely even known.

“I can’t take more than two persons per teleportation. So which one of you two should I take first?” Kai’s cold eyes are scanning the two.

“He’s first!” Jaehwan and Seongwoo said simultaneously and pointing at the others.

“He needs to be healed quickly. Jisung said that you have a healer in your headquarters. That’s right, isn’t it?” Jaehwan quickly continues, before Seongwoo could speak and he said his last sentence almost in a pleading tone.

“Yes. You don’t need to worry about your friend. Worry about you yourself, more soldiers might reappear when I’m away. Defend with all you might, kill yourself if it’s must. We can’t let them have any of you again.” Kai said as he picks up Seongwoo with his other hand and lifts him with ease while he carries the blonde man in his other hands.

_That man sure is very strong._ Jaehwan gulped. _I’m screwed if I ever crossed him_.

“Jaehwan, please be safe” Seongwoo said with worry apparent on his face. And then, without sound, they are gone from in front of him.

Once again, Jaehwan is surrounded by a creepy silence. He throws his gaze, scanning the sight in front of him. The bodies of the soldiers are unmoving, lifeless; some of them are burned and charcoal black. The others are bloody. Blood, blood, and more blood everywhere he throws his gaze, painting the snow into crimson red.

Jaehwan feels very sick that he wants to throw up. He had been avoiding seeing to the direction of the soldier he had been attacked. He can’t bear to see the aftermath of his power. 

His sense of smell had not been helping him either. Feeling dizzy, he bows his head, and closes his eyes tightly, blocking all of his feelings. That ugly emotion is back, the ugly voices in his head are talking, screaming so loudly in his back.

“You won’t change anything by feeling guilty.” A really tall man with blonde hair and ugly scar marrying what should be a handsome face from his right eyes until his right cheek suddenly appears in front of him. The man wears white robe, white cloak, and a gleaming badge of a silver tree snickers.

A really startled Jaehwan can barely reacting when he got hit with the end of the man's sword. Pain in his right temple and dizziness brought to him.

Then, to Jaehwan astonishment, the man takes him _flying_. He holds Jaehwan tightly by Jaehwan's cloaks and they are hovering above the snow, above the corpses of the soldiers. 

But not long after they take a flight, the man is groaning. Thin black smoke is billowing. Kai is suddenly appeared, croaching on the man's shoulder, unperturbed by the speed of the man's flying and swishing his sword at the man. 

But, before Kai's black sword can thouch him, he releases Jaehwan from his grip, and repels Kai's attack with his sword.

Jaehwan’s body is ultimately dropping to the ground at a high speed. But Jaehwan is prepared this time. He is concentrating his energy in both of his hands and a stream of snow spiraling around his body, engulfing him, and slowing his falling process. But, his body is still falling to the ground so hard and once again, pain coursing all over him.

Above him, he heard more sounds of two swords colliding. Kai's sword was preventing the sword of the blonde man from piercing Jaehwan’s head.

The blonde man snarls like a wild animal and attacking Kai fiercely at a high speed. Fire sparks are forming when the two swords clashing again and again. Jaehwan is watching with astonishment as the two men consequently almost pierced the others vital organs alternatingly, just missing a sheer of a millisecond before any real damage could happen.

Jaehwan thought that the two have a balanced power until Kai gives the man a spin kick to his head, so hard that Jaehwan could hear bones cracking. The man’s body is dropped to the ground, but he is still breathing, groaning and cursing.

“Kai!!! You would regret the day you take him! You won’t be able to handle him!” the man screams.

But, ignoring the man’s howls, Kai’s thin black smoke reappears in front of him, grasps Jaehwan’s left shoulder with a tight grip that feeling like crushing his bones.

"Engel... des Todes...!!!" Kai hears the man's last words before he teleport, although he can't catch the word clearly. 

Then, like he is being sucked into a black hole, all of the things surroundings Jaehwan are disappearing. He feels like his body is being spun and trashed all over.  

And then, just as sudden as all started, the spin is stopped. Jaehwan finds himself crouching on the wooden floor, heaving, harshly breathing and feels nauseous.

With shaky legs he is standing, in front of him, there is Kai, who isn’t looking at him, but staring at a shorter man with a black hair beside him with calculating looks. Jaehwan suddenly feels the presence of the shorter man, as he walking slowly towards him, almost without a sound. When Jaehwan meets his shining green eyes, he feels like he is holding his breath, and unable to move his gaze to another direction.

Slowly but sure, the man is standing in front of him, stretching his hands, and holding Jaehwan’s neck with his bare hands.

As he hears Seongwoo screams “Jaehwan!” He sees a green blazing aura engulfing the man’s body.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argentum: The name of the country where this story takes place; Taken from the country's symbol, the silver tree.  
> Macht: term for people with a superpower. (German, Macht=power)  
> Engel des Todes: Angel of Death (German). Jaehwan's nickname.
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has been reading this fic of mine, giving kudos, and writing comments. I hope you enjoy this! And thank you very much for all the fanfics writer that I've read. You guys are really awesome. :') Now, off you go! If there's something that confuses you, please ask in the comment box!
> 
> See you in the next chapter! Minhyun will wake up!


	3. Humans are Opportunistic After All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is back to that building and everything surrounds him is burning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it's more like a filler chapter. There's too much explanation going on, so I hope it's still enjoyable. I only did a quick proofread, so if you had questions, please ask me in the comments!

The green aura from the man’s body is concentrating in his hands and slowly spreading to Jaehwan's whole body with a tingling warm feeling from the man’s finger to his neck, where it had been touched, to his head, his shoulder, and finally to his arms and legs.

Overwhelmed by dread, Jaehwan didn’t dare to move, not even flinches.

To his surprise, all the pain in his body and the nauseous feeling is gone. His senses are coming back at him. He is now standing in a room with a relatively low ceiling. Not far from him, there’s a furnace with fire dancing inside, and bask the room in warm light. The air is filled with the sharp scent of various medicinal plants. It was a wonder that Jaehwan didn’t smell the scent since he stepped his feet into the room.

Kai is standing near the furnace. He had his wolf mask taken off. Now Jaehwan can see his handsome feature, a beautiful bronze skin tone, and young face. To his surprise, he doesn’t look much older than Seongwoo. But just like his cold silver eyes, his face is impassive.   

Not far from Kai, Jaehwan sees Seongwoo, who is sitting upright in what it looks like a table and he is eyeing worriedly at him. “Jaehwan! Are you okay?”

Suddenly, the green-eyed man is talking to him “Teleporting is sucks, I know. Especially, for the first timer like you. Are you still nauseous? Still any pain in your body?” He asked him with a soothing voice.

Jaehwan almost jumps in his place when he realizes the presence of the man in front of him again. _Weird_ , he thinks. _As if he was blending with his surroundings_. Jaehwan has a hard time detecting his presence.

He looked the man in front of him carefully. The green eyes are radiating warmth as the corner of his eyes crinkled and his dimple showed. The man is as tall as him, and it looks like that he is younger than Seongwoo and Kai. He is wearing a long brown tunic with a black pant.

“Hello, are you really okay? I’ve healed you though.” The man is waving his hand in front of Jaehwan's face. Once again, Jaehwan is startled. He was enamored by the man’s smile. He feels his cheeks hot and the tip of his ear reddening.

“I know you’re Jaehwan. I’m Lay, a healer.” The man grasped his hand with full force and shakes it vigorously.

“Don’t…” Jaehwan is quickly trying to pull his hand from the man, worried that something bad will happen.  

“How can you hold him? You can hold him?! You’ve healed him from that creepy power too?” Seongwoo is almost making a movement towards Jaehwan, wanting to jump to hug him. Jaehwan flinched, because of the last sentence from Seongwoo.

“Stop where you are, Seongwoo-ssi. It only works for me. And please don’t move around too much, you are still healing.” Lay let out a tired huff and his forehead is frowning. “Damn fire-benders” mutters Lay with a low voice.

“He won’t shut up about you, you know. It was so hard to make him calm,” said Lay to Jaehwan who is shoving Seongwoo to sit on the table again. “Now your master is here, please stop acting like an overgrown puppy.”

“Hey!” Seongwoo protest, but obeys Lay anyway.

“Jaehwan-ssi, please sit here.” with the seemingly permanent smile towards Jaehwan, Lay is smiling again and pointed at a chair near Seongwoo. He then sits in a wooden chair across him. Near the furnace, Kai is still standing. His eyes didn’t stop to observe Jaehwan the whole time.

Hesitantly taking the chair, Jaehwan ask Lay “The blonde soldier, Hwang Minhyun, where is he?” With great effort, he asks again “Is he… Did he…”

“Dead? Thank God, No. He is not dead, but his injury was grave indeed. It was so close.” Lay solemnly answer him and close his eyes, grimacing. “He had nearly drained my energy.”

Jaehwan exhales, he didn’t realize that he had been holding his breath.

Near Jaehwan, Seongwoo whispers to him “You are really okay, right?” Seongwoo is staring at him worriedly. But Jaehwan is only shrugging his shoulder; “I’m fine” and refuses to look at Seongwoo.

“I know it’s been hard days for you two. And I know that you want to rest. But I need you to tell me all, Jaehwan-ssi, from the beginning. It is really important for us.” Lay looks at him seriously.

 _Where do I must start?_ Jaehwan is mulling. _Where is the beginning?_

Jaehwan breathes deeply and closes his eyes as he tries to calm his feeling and organizes his mind.

 “You don’t have to go deep into the details, _yet_. Just tell us briefly.” Lay said patiently, noticing Jaehwan’s hesitation. “Let me tell you first our side of story, then”

Lay straight his posture up and continue “Jisung get in contact with our friend, Luhan, through telepathy 2 days ago. It is very rare for Jisung to contact Luhan. So we know instantly that he must have been in a great danger. He told him that he and his team rescued a Macht from Norden See Facility, and request us to have someone to teleport them from the Founder’s statue to a safer place.”  Lay explains.

“I already know that Seongwoo here is one of his members, though it’s actually the first time we meet him. So the person he was rescuing must only be you, right, Jaehwan?” Lay is questioning him carefully. The atmosphere in the room is heavy; the only sound they can hear is the sound of fire dancing in the furnace.

“I…” Jaehwan hesitantly speak. “You’re right. It’s me.”

“You must know about the facility.” Jaehwan’s voice is shaking. “The Machts, many and many and many of them are being locked there in that… weird cylinder with blue liquid” He shudders. “With every passing day our energy, our power is being sucked into that machine by them while we were in the unconscious state for years.” Jaehwan feels suffocated now as if he were back in that cylinder again. He is breathing heavily.

“Jaehwan. Look at me.” Lay’s tender voice snaps him back. “You are free. You’re safe now”

  Jaehwan feels calmer and nodded to Lay.

 “Did you have your memory back, yet?” Lay continues.

“I… I don’t remember anything aside from these five months.” Jaehwan answers truthfully.

“Really? Strange indeed” said Lay, more to himself than Jaehwan. Unconsciously he rubs his chin “I heard that after a Macht being ‘waken up’ they’ll get their memory first, and then followed by their power. It’s not the case for you, huh? How long have you been awake?”

 “It’s been... five months. Though I don’t really know if you can call it really ‘awake’ since in those 5 months, my body is still unconscious and I was communicating with Jisung in what he called a ‘mind room’. I’m sure you know what it is, right?” Jaehwan throws his gaze to Lay, who nods at him.

“I know. Luhan, our mind-bender, did that too” he answers. “It is basically a room where we can talk with our 'body projection' while our body is unconscious, right? Luhan did the same when we were captured.” His face is darkening. ”Please continue your story Jaehwan-ssi”

 “It was hard, to trust Jisung at first” Jaehwan looks down and rubs his thumb, “But after a while, I began to trust him. He then invites Seongwoo, Daniel, and Woojin in that mind room. I found out that they were in that same facility as me as we were planning to flee...”

“Ah, so he was in that facility for these 5 months, then? We’re not communicating all that much, but I’ve been wondering why he hadn’t contacted us at all.” Lay’s forehead is furrowing.    

Jaehwan continues, his voice is shaking again “And then we… We managed to run away from the facility one week ago with the help of that soldier, Hwang Minhyun.” Jaehwan gulped nervously.

“We managed to flee until the Tor der Justiz. But we were late when we reached the gate; it is already barricaded by the Argentum’s soldier. We must hide underground after that.” Jaehwan stopped his story for a while, his head is heavy.

“It is two days ago when we decided that we must go separate way” His heart is aching as he remembers. “Jisung, Daniel, and Woojin acted as the decoy, and they fled to the west direction. I and Seongwoo went back to meet ‘the transporter’ at the Founder’s statue, like what we agreed upon before.” Jaehwan gulped again.

“When we were nearing the founder’s statue, we got ambushed by the Argentum’s soldier. The Fehlen soldier, Minhyun, was shot. Seongwoo managed to defeat most of the soldier, but then he got shot and one of the soldiers put a shackle with that black stone on him”

Near the furnace, a chilling chuckle from Kai is heard, as if he was mocking him.

“Is there something funny in Jaehwan-ssi’s story, Kai?” Lay tilt his head, asks Kai with an innocent curiosity in his face, but Jaehwan can hear a slight warning in his voice.

“I've suddenly remembered something. That time when Chanyeol burns my pants.” Kai still chuckles.

“Chanyeol is a stupid fire-benders friend of mine. I’m sorry. It’s not because of your story, Jaehwan.” Kai smiles at him, but his smile had not reached his eyes.

“Ah, I’m really tired.” Kai stretches his arms. “I will straight up go to bed, then. Bye, blizzard boy. Bye, fire boy.”

Jaehwan feels shivers again in his nape as he looks at the back of Kai’s head. _He knows._

“What is wrong with him?” Seongwoo mumbles to Jaehwan.

“Kai! Wait for me in your room! I still have not checked on you yet” Lay is frowning.

Completely uncaring, Kai walks away from the room, waving his hand dismissively at Lay.

Lay turned around to face him and Seongwoo, his soft smile, and dimples appear again. “I’m really sorry, Jaehwan-ssi, Seongwoo-ssi, you two must have been tired too. We can continue this tomorrow.” 

Lay then walks towards Seongwoo “I’ll help you walk to the room Seongwoo-ssi, please follow me Jaehwan-ssi”

“Lay-ssi, do you have any news about where Jisung, Daniel, and Woojin are now?”

“I’m sorry Jaehwan-ssi, I hadn’t heard anything about them”

 ----------

 

He is back to that building.

_Burning._

_Burning._

_Burning_

The same dream he keeps on having for the million times. 

_He was surrounded by fire. It was so hot. His skin was melting. His throat was suffocating._

_But he kept on searching for them. Where were they?_

_Minki-ah… Dongho…_

_Where were you?_

_Minhyun!_

_Jonghyun’s voice was calling for him._

_Minhyun! We must get out!_

_No! Dongho and Minki!_

_Minhyun! We can’t save them! We must get out!!_

_Jonghyun dragged him outside._

_He was helpless. He could do nothing to save them._

_Jonghyun was beside him, held his hand._

_For a long time, both of them were standing alone._

_For a long time, There were just the two of them for each other._

_But then Jonghyun walked away from him, he let his hand go._

_He was gone._

Now he is suddenly alone, in a really long corridor.

Then there is a door, opening.

He saw light comes from the door.

He walks towards it, to a room, full of warm orange sunset light. He sees himself, five years old and Jonghyun, nine years old. They are reading a book.

_“I want to live in Norden forever! It is beautiful! There is snow, many many many flurries of snow! All year long, Hyung!”_

His little-self was grinning, so excited with the prospect of living surrounded by snows.

_“I hate it here. Every day is always so hot. I’m always sweating!”_

Little Jonghyun is looking at him with a fond face, smiling.

_“If you live there forever, you will hate snow in no time, Minhyun-ah. You will complain to me that it is cold and you are frozen to the bones.”_

_“No! How can I hate snow, hyung! Look at this! How beautiful, white all over!”_

 His little self is smiling broadly, the corner of his mouth almost reaching his ears. He is pointing at the crumpled book. Little Jonghyun pats his head.

_“We will go there, Hyun-ah. We will…”_

Minhyun steps back from the room; his heart is hurting so badly.

He returned to the black corridor. There is a speck of light in front of him, and he walks towards it.

_He was standing in a field; all of its surfaces were covered by snows. Then a little white fluff ball was falling from the sky above him to his palm. It was followed by other white fluff balls, and another, and another, until the sky painted into white color._

_It was cold; his body was frozen to the bones. But at that time, he finally allowed himself to grieve. For the first time, he cried._

And before he even realizes, he is back in the long black corridor. Feeling crushed like it had never been before.

Then there is a voice, singing.

Tell me have you heard the story  
That took place not long ago  
Bout an angel up in heaven  
They say he up and ran away from home

Word is he had unfinished business  
So back on earth he had to flee  
Well you know I'm so elated  
Because he's laying right here next to me

 

It is a song that Jonghyun used to sing to him when he couldn’t sleep.

“Jonghyun?”

And then, for the first time in that night, he can breathe normally again.

\----------

 

“Why it is so important to you to save the Fehlen soldier that you have to lie to them?” Seongwoo is lying in a bed beside Jaehwan. His eyes are neutral, not accusing Jaehwan, but his voice is sharp. “Is it because something that Daniel told to you? You could always tell me Jaehwan-ah…”

Jaehwan stares at Seongwoo, his face is impassive “Then _you_ could start by telling _me_ what Daniel told you, Ong-ah…”

Seongwoo throws his pillow to Jaehwan, strikes him, right in his face. “It is Royal Highness Prince Ong Seongwoo Hyungnim, you rude brat! Now sleep!” Seongwoo smacks his own pillow with a too much force. Then with a loud voice, he turns his body, his back is facing Jaehwan. “Damn Time-bender and all their secrets! An oracle my foot, he is just a lucky guesser” Jaehwan hears Seongwoo grumbling under his breath.

Not long after that, low snore from Seongwoo was heard. But Jaehwan is still sitting on the bed. He is really tired, but he can’t sleep. He is too afraid that all of what he experienced had been just a dream, and he will wake up to a reality, where he is still trapped in that giant blue cylinder.

Unlike what he had told Lay or Jisung, every now and then he was actually being awaked with an immense of burning pain in his head. He couldn’t reject when they forced him to use his powers to many peoples. And then forced him back to a long unconscious state.

_For a long time, it was the only thing he only knows._

_For a long time, it was the only thing he does._

Until now, he still remembers all of the faces when he closed his eyes, each of them, staring back at him with a different state of horror. But in the sea of all the faces, Jaehwan sees _him_ , who unlike any other people, was smiling at Jaehwan as he reached for his hands. “It’s not your fault” _He_ softly whispered. 

His head is hurting. He tried to divert his mind to other things. He recalls the conversation he had with Jisung while they were hiding underground.

_“Don’t tell them that we were rescuing you from the Norden Prison Jaehwan-ah, tell them that we were rescuing you from Norden Facility. The two is located side by side and both were blown anyway. They would never know.” Jisung was sitting, unlike his usual self, his face is hard. He is staring at where Woojin, Daniel, and Seongwoo sleeping._

_“Even though they are my ally, I can’t fully trust them. Always remember Jaehwan, never trust anyone.”_

_“Not even you, hyung? Not even them?” Jaehwan stared at Seongwoo, Woojin, and Daniel who is sleeping soundly too. He was already expecting that Jisung would say something like this to him._

_“Not even me. I rescued you because I want you to help me. You were agreed to be rescued because you are also benefitted from it. As long as we benefit each other, we can cooperate. It is easy.”_

_“I trust you. If you want to take advantage of me you would delude me to be devoted to you. But you’re not.” Jaehwan stares at Jisung straight in his eyes._

_Jisung was taken aback, but he quickly schooled his expression back to an impassive face. “You fool. Your naivety will be your downfall” Jisung’s words were harsh, but his voice is soft._

Jaehwan lays his body on the bed now; his mind is in an even worse state as it still actively buzzes. He is now thinking about Kai’s word before. Kai was calling him blizzard boy. But when he was arrived and rescued them, the snows had stopped falling.

Not only an aching head, now he even also nauseous, Jaehwan gets up. Maybe a breath of fresh air could calm him. Carefully he exits his and Seongwoo’s room and walks through the corridor. But opposite what he had been decided before, he enters the room next to his room.  

In the chair in the middle of the room, there’s a soldier’s uniform hanging.

_Soldier._

His head snaps. The face of the soldier that was pointing his gun at him is in the very front of the sea of faces surrounding him when in the dark. It is pale, silent, but in the same frozen state of horror.

Jaehwan loses all his strength in his feet. He falls down to the wooden floor with a soft thud, and he stares at his hands; feeling sick and nauseous again.

Suddenly, he hears the Fehlen soldier stirs in his sleep. He is muttering something, but Jaehwan can’t catch what he was saying. So Jaehwan approach that blonde man.

His fair face is still very pale, but there’s a tinge of red in his cheeks. He was drenched with sweat as he was tossing and turning in his sleep.

“Burned… burn… ing” Jaehwan can finally catch what the man is mumbling.    

His forehead is furrowing and he looks like he is in so much pain. “Burn…” the man sighs.

There’s only one thing that Jaehwan could do. So he inhales deeply and exhales slowly. He trains his minds until it is void from all of the thinking, or from any emotion. And slowly, carefully, he let out his power. He restrains so hard so that his power won’t uncontrollably overflows.

A thin layer of ice is spreading from where he is standing to all over the room. Abruptly, he stops his power. But the room had become so much colder, and he sees spikes of ice hanging on windows sills.

The blond man had stop tossing and turning now. He has not drenched in sweat anymore. He let out a low sigh.

_At least he does something a bit right._

Jaehwan observes the man; his face had relaxed quite a lot now, his forehead is still slightly furrowing.

_Hwang Minhyun was it? I wonder what he is dreaming._

 Still, with eyes closed, a slight tear is flowing across his cheeks. Jaehwan almost wants to reach him. His hand is already outstretched, already moving hastily against his thinking. Before almost touched Minhyun, he let his hand hanging low beside him.

So with a low voice, he sings.

\-------------------------

 

 “The boy, Jaehwan-ssi is… weird.” Lay is in Kai’s room. He was checking on Kai’s condition.

Much to Kai’s confusion, Lay is slightly shivering.

“That much is, I know myself” Kai scoffed

“No. You won’t understand because you cannot see it. But I can.”

“See what exactly?”

“Aura,” Lay said. Kai scoffed. “This again”

Disregarding Kai’s reaction, Lay continue “Everything, literally, everything has an aura around them. Argentum’s people, even plants, and animals have aura with different kind of colors, even though it is very thin. Of course, a Macht has the thickest aura around them.”

Lay pauses, thinking, then tentatively, he continues “But this boy, he had none. It almost like… his body is surrounded by black holes. Every aura that comes near him got sucked.”   

“Then how come your aura didn’t get sucked by him?”

“Regeneration. Healers can control the energy in the body to rapidly substitute the aura around us. I think?” Lay tilts his head, like asking Kai.

“How should I know? So you touched him without knowing this?” Kai jeers at him.

“Worth to try, I guess” Lay shrug his shoulders, uncaring.

“Yeah. _Luckily_.” Kai deadpanned. “Anyway, I don’t care if he were Angel or Demon, as long as he is useful to us, then he is our ally”

“Harsh like usual” Lay smirks.

“Not like you don’t agree with me,” Kai said, stretches his body, and lay in bed.

Lay doesn’t answer him, only humming.

So Kai continue, “You do know that the blizzard boy was lying, right? I was there when they were coming close to the statue. That Fehlen scum was clearly already injured. Fire boy was carrying his unconscious body. He was not injured in the ambush.”   

“Call them by their name, Kai, the water bender is Jaehwan,-ssi. The fire bender is Ong Seongwoo-ssi.” Lay then dragged a chair, and put in front of Kai and sit on it.

“So you were there the whole time? When they were ambushed and got shot?” Lay chuckles.

“I have to make sure that they had an actual potential and won’t trouble us with uselessness in the future,” Kai said in a deadpanned voice, Lay shouldn’t have asked as it very obvious already. “We will be having a war, what is the use of a fool?”   

“I know, but I must heal them after that!” Lay hit Kai’s arm. “Why don’t you at least showed up sooner? Seongwoo’s injury was very bad.”

Uncaring, Kai only shrugged his shoulders.

“So, what do you think of them?” Lay’s face is full of curiosity and excitement.

“Bad. Their control of their power was horrendous, especially blizzard boy. And fire boy can’t use his power effectively. Even _Chanyeol_ can use his power better when he was five.”

“But?” Lay tilt his head, smirks, waiting for Kai to continue

“But nothing that we can't fix, I’m sure.” Kai huffed. “They weren’t Rogue, like us. Blizzard boy had only been fully awake for one week, and fire boy had only joined Jisung’s group for one year, hadn’t he? The members of his group are all escapees from Facilities, right? They hadn’t trained well”       

Kai continue “Are you sure that the blizzard boy won’t cause any trouble? I don’t like it that he thought we were easy to be fooled” Kai staring pointedly at Lay.

“Jisung said that if we fulfill his wish, he’ll help us. I guess helping the Fehlen was his wish. Besides, I don’t detect any ill intention towards us.” 

“I don’t trust Jisung, that old bat. But I would gladly accept Daniel. We need another time bender to replace Tao.”

“He is far too loyal to Jisung to accept our offer. Are you not tired of trying just yet?” Lay jeers. 

Suddenly, Kai's face got very serious and hard “Lay, Kris was appearing when I teleported with Seongwoo and Fehlen scum." 

Lay only stares at him, his face is deadly. 

"He said something, about how we can't handle the blizzard boy. And I didn't hear him clearly, but something that sounds like Engel."

"Engel? Angel?" Lay is confused. "I know nothing about it. Maybe we should ask Suho"

"Did you gave him a proper beating?" 

Kai’s face is darkened. “Of course”

“Ha. Doubtfully.” Lay jeers at him again. But his voice is serious when he continues. “So it’s at least had been confirmed. If we meet again, I’ll give him the beating myself.”

 --------------------------

 

Minhyun is awake.

_Where is it? Hell? Because someone like him must don’t deserve heaven._

Carefully, he lifts his body into a sitting position. His head is throbbing like it had been stampeded by a group of horses.

He touched his body. The wounds had been healed; there is even no scar left. Someone had also changed his clothes. His ragged clothes are hanged on the chair. He now wearing a soft green tunic with brown cotton pants that were too short for him.

As he tries to stand on his feet, he lost his balance and grips the edge of the bed.

His breathing is ragged; his muscles are still too weak. He had overestimated his state of health. A slight physical exercise is still too much for him to do.

As he sits on the floor, he observes the room. It was small and bare. There are only a bed, a chair and a table with a small bucket and towel on it. The room is strangely cold, even though there is a small furnace on the corner of the room. And as he observes there are spikes of ice on the window sills that slowly melting. _Weird._

Decided to observe the place further, he gathers his energy, slowly lifting his body and walks out from the room with his hands gripping the wall for balance.

He hears voices of people talking, and lights coming out below the closed doors not far from him. Carefully, slowly, he steps closer to the door, tries to not let out too much noise as possible and listens to the conversation inside the room.

_“You do know that the blizzard boy was lying, right? I was there when they were coming close to the statue. That Fehlen scum was clearly already injured. Fire boy was carrying his unconscious body. He was not injured in the ambush.”_

_“Call them by their name, Kai, the water bender is Jaehwan,-ssi. The fire bender is Ong Seongwoo-ssi.”_

Minhyun’s body turns cold as he heard the conversation. He then heard someone moving, and there is a sound of a chair being dragged. Afraid that he would get caught outside, he walks back to his room.

He didn’t know how he should feel. He is alive, his wounds had been healed, but he is now in a house with a group of Macht. There were at least two people in the room and who knows if there is more. And there is nothing, nothing in the world that he hated and he feared more than people with superpowers.

Minhyun had encountered so much trouble in his life. But never has he felt so confused like he is now.  

 _You won’t believe me, but karma is real, Minhyun-ah_. He heard a voice in his head sneers at him.

_Shut up Jonghyun. You are already dead._

Now Minhyun feels crazier for talking with his own head.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forget to add! New information about this.  
> \- Tor der Justiz: Gate of Justice (German-speaking readers, please correct me if I'm wrong)  
> \- Fehlen: (German words) to lack. Fehlen people are the descendants of Macht (people with Superpower), who had not inherited the superpower.  
> \- Rogue: Explanation for now: They've never been captured in the facility for their energy to be 'milked'. Kai, Lay, was captured for test rabbits.  
> \- Mind-bender: Yoon Jisung, Luhan. Capabilities: basic capabilities: mind reading, created a 'mind room', telepathy with another mind bender. Can enter people thoughts, but only with permission, or strong force. Can't be used to change the mind of others.  
> \- Time-bender: Kang Daniel. He can speed up or slow the time, but very limited. His more prominent capability is fortune telling.  
> \- Earth-bender: Park Woojin. So they've been hiding underground thanks to Woojin's power.  
> \- In this fic, people with the same power may or may not have the same range of capabilities, some are more developed than others, and some not developed certain capabilities at all.  
> \- The 4 nature benders (Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water) are the most common. 'Mental' benders like Daniel, or Jisung are rare.  
> -The song that been sung is Jamie Foxx-Heaven. Jaehwan recommended this song to be heard before sleeping in NCTradio. 
> 
> Seems that I've spoilered a lot.  
> Thank you for reading! If you like it, please give kudos and comments! Or if you want to criticize me, it's okay too, tell me what is your thoughts!


	4. How Old Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minhyun is waking up and meeting the two people that save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A relationship between people is complicated. And it is even harder to write. But I hope this one is good enough!

 

“I didn’t know that you could sing”

The room is becoming considerably warm as the person enters the room and standing beside him.

“It’s nice. You should have sung for me too.”

Jaehwan closes his eyes when he is singing, and continue to do so until he finishes the song. Then he opens his eyes and smiles at the person on his right side. “There are many things about me that I also don’t know myself. It was just popped out from my head.”

Seongwoo scoffed “At least we know for sure now that you’re not from Osten Province. I should have heard the song then.”

Hesitantly, Jaehwan asked, “Was it like, hyung, when you were woken up?”

Seongwoo is silent for a while. He is deep in his thought. It’s something that he prefers to never think about again. “It was… very hard. When I’m awake after the long unconscious state, I was assaulted by voices buzzing, screaming in my head, come one after another and another, and another, from all the direction. The first light that I’ve seen is blinding my eyes.” Seongwoo shudders “I felt like I was going to go crazy. And that what is happened to most of us, right? They can’t stand the initial waking up process and losing their minds.”

“I know the pain very much” Jaehwan speak with a hushed voice to himself. Seongwoo who hadn’t heard him speaks again “The memory comes next. And it was the hardest.” Seongwoo shudders again.

“The memories then come at once. I couldn’t even tell which of the memory is the newest or which one is the oldest. The memory all felt so painful that I almost want to go back to that black, endless room. There was nothing, but at least I was not in pain and I can just… forget” Seongwoo staring blankly.  “But then the memory of the last day when I was captured came to me. And that what was makes me go back on my feet again. I’ll never forget it. I made sure that I paid them back for what they did to me.” Seongwoo speaks in anger.

Secretly, Jaehwan uses his power again, dropping the temperature in the room for a few degrees. He hoped it can calm him down. “I’m sorry hyung, I didn’t mean to hurt you” Jaehwan looks at Seongwoo worriedly.

“It’s not your fault, Jaehwan. Don’t say that you’re sorry”

_It’s not your fault, Jaehwan. He was saying the same words to him. The words are always lingering in his heart and in his minds like a loop._

“Was it the reason you’re still waking up? Did you finally… _remember_?” Seongwoo’s voice brings Jaehwan back from his lamenting.

“No” Jaehwan shakes his head, “There was too much happening in these past days. I still feel the dread, it’s like we’re still being chased.”

“We are Hwan-ah.” Seongwoo’s expression is sad. “Even though we are free from that cylinder, doesn’t mean that it is the end of our struggle. We are still not free; they will be chasing us forever. So you must use your time to rest as good as possible to not make it easy for them. Let’s go back to our room, eh? I won’t sleep until you sleep. You don’t have to worry about anything for now, okay?” Seongwoo’s hand is halfway to pat Jaehwan’s head. But he draws it back and staring at it instead.

Jaehwan studies Seongwoo’s face carefully. Ever since they’ve met in the Jisung’s mind room, Seongwoo’s expression when looking at him was always the same. Open expression, without anything to hide, with a seemingly permanent smile, etches in his face. Jisung introduced him to Daniel, Seongwoo, and Woojin in that mind room at the same time. But he was the one who talked to him first. Daniel and Woojin were frozen in their place when they were saying their awkward greeting. Until the day they were separated, they still put quite a distance from him. They’re never quite looking right in his eyes and mostly only talks to him when Jisung is around.

Seongwoo’s words are sometimes harsh, as he blurts out everything in his minds without a filter. But he never said it with the intention to harm him. Jaehwan is somewhat thankful for his bluntness, but it still hurt him a bit from time to time. He trusts Seongwoo and he has a feeling that he will always be able to trust him, but there are still many things that they don’t know about each other. There are still many things that he can’t say to him.

“Anyway, tomorrow we must talk to this damn soldier about your lies. Can’t have him blabbering things to Lay or Kai. Ugghhhh… I can’t imagine having a contact with a soldier. Ever. My skin is still itchy remembering that I’ve carried him here.”

“I’m…” Jaehwan starts.

“Stop. Don’t make me repeat what I say. I’ve agreed to your request and I have the same responsibility as you are now.” Seongwoo huffed and groaned in annoyance.

“Now move your ass. Let’s go back. I’m still very tired.” Seongwoo yawns, then with a limped slow pace, he exits the room with Jaehwan in his tail, looking the back of Seongwoo’s head, feeling an overwhelming regret.

\--------------

Minhyun POV

Minhyun calms himself down. It is true that he had never been in this condition before. But because he was seemingly always a magnet for all kinds of trouble, he’s been constantly finding himself in a dangerous situation. The last trouble he made put him in a death sentence. But somehow his life is still hanging by a thin thread. He must be sure that he can have a perfect grip on the situation first like he always is.

He rubs his right shoulder unconsciously and realized that even his burning scar that he had been having since he was a teen had gone. It was being replaced with a smooth and tender skin. He feels anger bubbling inside him. His memento, the remainder is gone. It is an important reminder for him that their existence, Dongho's and Minki's existence, is not for naught.

_The Sword_. Suddenly Minhyun remembers.

He sat upright and gets up from the bed, panicked. He walks towards his uniform on the chair. Where is his sword? Where is that sword? Jonghyun gave him the sword the last time they were met. It had been so precious to him. When his hands touch the cold surface of the stem’s sword, he breathes a sigh of relief.

_He’s alive._

_There is must be a reason why he is still alive._

_It must be because he had not yet finished his revenge._

_He had not even found **him** yet **.**_

Minhyun takes deep breathe a few times. He digs up his memory of the conversation that he heard before. Someone, a certain fire boy, was carrying his unconscious body, for whatever reason that he doesn’t know. It puzzled him that a Macht would save a soldier like him. And a certain blizzard boy had been lying about that, the person in that room said. No, not a fire boy, but a fire bender named Ong Seongwoo and a water bender named Jaehwan.

He should meet them. He should know what they want from him and use them for his personal gains. After all, they are a Macht too. They might have some information about _him_.    

Minhyun had been really drowning in his thought that he hadn’t heard steps outside walking towards the room. Until low knocked sounds were heard from the door.

Without even waiting for his response, two people are entering his room. The first one has a commanding aura around him as if demanding respect from another person. The man is tall and lean but he has a solid built like a soldier. Some of his straight hair is falling to his forehead in an unkempt fashion that almost covers his black eyes. The eyes are looking at him without even trying to hide anger, hate, and distaste. But Minhyun can also see a passing uncertainty in his handsome face, which very quickly to be masked again.   

The second man, no, boy, looks quite younger than the first man, and walking slowly behind. Due to the overwhelming aura that the first man gives, Minhyun almost didn’t notice that boy. The boy looks just like any other boy in Argentum. He is shorter, his body is thin and a bit slouched. He has a soft wavy brown hair, plump cheeks, and downturned eyes. But after he had seen the boys, Minhyun can’t get his eyes off him, for he seems shining with a thin white light around him, until he meets the boy's clear black eyes. He was looking straight at him, with an emotion that he can’t decipher.     

Minhyun quickly snapped his head and looking at the first man who is now glaring at him. He is already used to hateful gaze, for almost his whole life he received the same kind of gaze from different kinds of people. But the looks of the boy’s eyes unnerves Minhyun.  Because he doesn’t understand. He knows the look of hate, disgust, surprise, horror, or sadness for it shows in his eyes sometimes looked when he saw his reflections. It’s also not the look of a lust like many filthy men, especially his superior in the military, gave him. But at least Minhyun understand that and take the advantage of it, although it disgusted him until his very bone. And whatever is this, he doesn’t know. Minhyun can’t stand not knowing. He always prided himself on his ability to understand people expression for that what made him get away with trouble. That is until a bullet pierced through his body.

The first man is now sitting in front of him. Minhyun notices that he had a trouble with walking. His face was grimacing with every step he took. He then sits in the only chair in that room. The boy then proceeds to stand beside the man. Minhyun still feels the boy’s gaze at him, but he still stubbornly refuses to look at the boy, though he had overwhelmingly feeling to just steal a glance.

“Werescuedyou. Wefoundyouinjured bodyinthesnow and broughtyou.” The first man says the word very quickly as if the words burn his mouth.

It takes Minhyun quite a while to answer the man, as he can’t get what he was saying. “I’m very thankful, If not because of you; I would have died already in the snow.” Minhyun controls his voice so that it sounds meek and soft. So they must be the fire bender and the water bender.

He belatedly realized that they are the first Macht he had seen outside Norden Prisoner. As the front guard of the said place, he has to check people that come and go. The Macht he had seen being brought all has the same crazy unfocused eyes, screaming and howling form their cage, banging the cage with their body over and over, and not stopping even after they were bleeding. So often he saw that, that the image of a Macht in his head had been always a crazy person. But he realized that it is a stupid thinking, if they all just a bunch of crazy people, the Government must have ended them.

 “I’m sorry for our rudeness. We should have introduced ourselves first. I’m Jaehwan and this is Ong Seongwoo” The boy speaks.

_So he is the water-bender, or the blizzard boy, the one who had been lying about him. And the man must be the fire-bender._

Minhyun nodded his head.

 “Let’s go straight into the business.” Seongwoo frowned to Jaehwan “We ran away from the Norden Facility a week ago. And you had helped us ran away. That is the only thing you should know and say if anyone _asks_.”

“But…” Minhyun starts

“That is the fact. Or you prefer another version? Sadly the people here wouldn’t like the fact that we save an Argentum’s soldier just because of the kindness of our hearts.” Seongwoo sneers. “They would most likely kill you.” The man’s arrogant face and snappy voice irate him so much. 

“Seongwoo-hyung!” The boy warns the man.

“I’m sorry Minhyun-ssi, you must be so confused right now. What Seongwwo-hyung said is right; we had found you in the snow. You were unconscious and injured badly. There was… a storm and we…” Seongwoo glares at Jaehwan “I… I can’t let you die in the snowstorm that caused by me. You must have received help if it’s not because of the storm.”

Minhyun almost scoffed hearing that. _He received help? Yeah, right_.

“And the rest is just like Seongwoo said. We…, I am afraid that our ally here won’t save you because you are a soldier. So we have been lying that you’ve helped us to flee from the facility. Please tell them only that.”

“So Why...” Minhyun wants to ask, but he gritted his teeth. Why did they even bother to save him if the fire-bender hated him so much? The feeling is mutual. He hated Macht, but a fire-bender is the one he hates the most. But he decided to ask another question “Are you seriously saying that you had escaped from the facility? It’s impossible.”

“Typical question from Argentum’s people, you are all always been so blind to eat whatever your government spews.” Seongwoo mocks. “There had been a lot of Macht escaping from the facility. Be thankful that at the very least your Government is capable of hiding the information."

Minhyun had been so good at keeping his anger at bay, but Seongwoo keeps on testing it.     

Jaehwan coughs loudly “And how are you Minhyun-ssi? I hope you’re alright now.”

 “I’m fine. I’m okay.” Minhyun forces himself to give the best smile.  The boy gasps, and he sees a little pink coloring his cheeks.

_He seems easy to persuade_ , Minhyun thinks.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I’ve been looking at your badge, so I know your name. B-but… I didn’t snoop around your other things. Don’t worry.”

“Umm… I really hope you’re fine, you’re still looking very good, so… uhmm..” Jaehwan is stuttering, his voice becoming lower and lower and he rubs his neck furiously.

Suddenly, Seongwoo raises his hand and said, “Jaehwan…” and with his eyes, he gives a signal to Jaehwan, who then nods at him.

They could hear steps outside, and not long after that, a knock is heard. “Can I come in?” The voice sounds similar to the voice that Minhyun heard from the room the night before.

“Yes, of course,” Minhyun said.

A man with a wavy black hair and green eyes comes into the room with a shocked expression.

“Oh, you are all here. Good, good, I can examine you all together. Hallo Minhyun-ssi, I’m Lay, a healer. I hope you’re alright now.” The man smiles warmly at him. Minhyun is once again taken aback. The man’s expression seems very gentle. Unlike what he had thought when he heard his voice before. He then held Minhyun’s hands and a warm feeling spreading through his body.   

“A few day of rest and you’ll be able to move like normal again.” Lay pat Minhyun’s hand softly. “Seongwoo and Jaehwan have told me about what you do for them. It’s really kind of you. We’ll be forever grateful, right, Jaehwan-ssi?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be forever grateful to him” Jaehwan looks straight at Lay and smiles. Bewilderingly, Jaehwan sounds very sincere when saying that.

“I’ll examine you too Seongwoo-ssi. You should not have moved around too much. If you’re injured again, I won’t heal you!” Lay scolds Seongwoo and hit the back of his head lightly. But Seongwoo only grumbling under his breath. Jaehwan chuckles seeing them like that.

Minhyun feels an ugly feeling coursing the bottom of his stomach. The scene he sees in front of him is very weird. They are talking, interacting, smiling just like a normal person. They have killed many people; they’ve made many people suffering. Just before, they were scheming and lied in front of each other. They are just some crazy bastard. He can’t be fooled.

“Minhyun-ssi, are you still in pain? Maybe you need more medicine.” Jaehwan’s voice startled him.

Minhyun shakes his head. He was stupid. He can't let his guard down in the house of his enemy. 

“Do you have any news about Jisung, Lay?” Seongwoo asks.

“No. I’m sorry. Kai is now in our main headquarter to meet Luhan and Suho. Maybe Jisung had sent Luhan a new message. But I don’t know when will Kai come back. We can only wait.” He proceeds and frowns “The situation hadn’t been so good outside. The military dispatched more soldiers and the entire provincial borderline is strengthened like no one ever seen before, Kai said. Even the merchants didn’t have it easy. There are also posters of you three everywhere in the town. You have to be careful, Seongwoo-ssi, Minhyun-ssi, they want you two dead.”

Minhyun felt his heart is turning cold. He thought that he is ready to be chased by the military.

“Thankfully, they want you alive, Jaehwan-ssi.” Lay beams.

“Are we safe here, Lay-ssi? I’m very sorry to inconvenience you” Jaehwan asks worriedly.

Lay only waves his hands, uncaring. “This house is located in a very remote area. We are near Schwarz Forest, in the Valley of Nordosten Mountain. But the nearest town is dozens kilometer from here, and we are five hundred kilometers away from Norden Facility. There is a village near here, of course. But the Villagers People here also don’t have much contact with the outside world. So I can say that you all pretty safe for now.”

But Lay then glares menacingly at Seongwoo and Jaehwan, and his gaze stops at Seongwoo, “But you must lay low. Don’t use your power too much. Or better, don’t use it at all.”   

 -------------

Minhyun wakes up very early, just like every other morning this past two weeks and starts his day with training and sword practice routine. After he cleans up, he comes downstairs and having breakfast. As usual, Jaehwan greets him with a cheery good morning that he returns with a smile that he always uses to charms people. He is very satisfied when Jaehwan’s cheeks becoming pink and he becomes a stuttering mess. Seongwoo only grunts and throws a dirty glare at him as usual. Lay only gives him a small smile from his worktable, and then go back making medicinal concoctions with strong smells. His face frowning with concentration with hair pointing in every direction and dark circles under his eyes are especially prominent today.

It had shocked Minhyun when he learned that Lay is truly a physician. People from the village near the house often come with different illnesses and injuries. The downstairs part of the house is used for his workplace where he made medicine and treats people. Minhyun remembers that at the first day he was there, he wants to scream when Lay gives a little kid with a high fever one of his strange concoction; very sure that Lay will poison the boy. But the kid was alive, the fever went down and he looked so much better. The mother thanking Lay over and over again. 

There are many villagers that come and go, but they didn’t seem suspicious at all that there are three new strangers in that house. It seems that they already used to the fact that there are often different people there and don’t ask too much. Though they really talk a lot about themselves, like what they hunt today, or what they cook to Lay, and Minhyun sometimes, which he can only answer awkwardly. Seongwoo even managed to joke around and makes them laugh. But Jaehwan, he is always nowhere to be seen. 

Two weeks of their stay, they had already different routines and role in that house. For the first few days when Minhyun’s injury is not fully healed, his job is only to maintain the cleanliness of the house. He had been very shocked with the state of the messiness of Lay’s workplace that his body automatically tidies up and organizing the medicinal stuff with a perfect order. Lay had thanked him furiously; he said that he often missing things and end up taking hours searching for that. And now, besides cleaning the house he has to cook and chop firewood. 

It is very hard for him, because he has to do everything manually just like the old times. There are no appliances that he's often seen in Argentum’s people houses. He wonders why, because it didn’t seem that the village is really barren from technology, he had seen villagers walking in the dark with a light bulb which lightens up by a small energy ball.

Jaehwan is another reason that makes his task harder. He is actually supposed to help Lay in making medical concoctions and collect the plants. But ‘helping’ is not the right term for that. The boy is very clueless about too many things, not to mention his lack of strength and his short attention span. He doesn’t know the names of many different plants, food, or most of _anything_. He doesn’t even know what potato is, for god sake! Every people in Argentum eat that every day. Lay laughed so long and hard when Jaehwan brings him onion instead when he was asking for potato. Lay had described the potato with something that round and brown, so Jaehwan hadn’t exactly false either, but still.

Other time, Lay asked him to watch over the concoction that he boiled. But not long after Minhyun smelt something burning and found the room filled with smoke, fire already burnt one side of the room. Jaehwan is sitting still by the window, gazing outside, clearly oblivious to the mess. Jaehwan that was startled by Minhyun's scream moves the water from the water barrel quickly to extinguish the fire, which will be great if he didn’t make Minhyun wet as well in the process. Minhyun was so baffled. _He is supposed to be a water-bender, is he not? And he is almost burned the house. The Irony._

For the next days, he keeps on following Minhyun everywhere with questions like “What is this, hyung? What is that, hyung? How I do this, hyung?” _Since when had he allowed him to call him ‘hyung’ anyway?_  

It’s not actually that often, because Lay takes Jaehwan with him every two or three days to the forest, searching for medicinal plants. Still, he managed to grit on Minhyun nerves every second Jaehwan nears him. Besides, the boy still staring at Minhyun from time to time when he thought Minhyun is not looking. He had seen this look when one of the injured villagers came with his dog because of a nasty fall.   The look on Jaehwan’s face somehow resembles the look on the dog’s face that faithfully waited for the falling villager. Now that Minhyun knows, it didn’t make him less uncomfortable. Often times he wants to snap at him. But, still pretending to be a good man he isn’t, he forces his smiles every time Jaehwan calls him.

Minhyun takes a glance at that boy. Sometimes, he still sees the thin white light surrounding him. He is now laughing with the loud and weird laugh of him and speaking animatedly with Seongwoo. Yesterday he looked dejected, but he seems already back to his normal self. Minhyun belatedly realized that Jaehwan always looks dejected every time he came back to the house with Lay. Minhyun stops his train of thoughts. _He is not worried about him. Nor he mad when Jaehwan never eats the food he cooks. He doesn’t care about the boy._

Annoyed by his thoughts, Minhyun glanced at the man beside him. Seongwoo is laughing too. The food he is eating is thrown from his mouth. _Disgusting._ The expression on his face is bright, every time he talks to Jaehwan, or every time he interacts with people other than Minhyun. 

It is very fortunate for him that the fire bender, rarely in the house. He is healed earlier than Minhyun, and since then Lay always ask him to hunt in the forest or collect fire woods. He was grumbling and complaining, “Why doesn’t he” Seongwoo nodded in Minhyun’s direction “do that?” Lay simply said, “I need someone to watch over the house while I’m away, and I would never _again_ trust a fire-bender to watch over after my previous house got burned because of a fire bender.”   _Not that a water bender better anyway,_ Minhyun glance at Jaehwan. Lay wasn’t even yelled at him after he almost burned his house, only laughed. Lay is too soft to Jaehwan.

“Besides, you basically bring your own furnace everywhere.” The weather had been so cold and wet at the end of autumn. Seongwoo argues that because he is a fire-bender, he is actually more delicate at facing the cold weather. But his voice gets lower and lower until it only a hushed when he saw Lay’s expression. He was still smiling, but he could tell that Lay was very close to bursting. _Seems that the nicer a Macht appears to be, the more dangerous he gets_. So every morning Minhyun is greeted with an angrier looking Seongwoo. He never thought before that it is possible for a human to look like that. _He’s a Macht. He’s not really a human, anyway._

Lay finally finished making his concoction and sits on the chair. “Why you always call Seongwoo with hyung, Jaehwan-ssi?” he says as he filled his plate with food.

“Because he’s always mad if I call him Ong, or Seongwoo, or Woo-ah” Jaehwan sticks his tongue at Seongwoo and then yelps because of an apple that Seongwoo’s throws hit his head.

“Don’t you see him? He is practically a child” Seongwoo sticks his tongue at Jaehwan too in return. “Seriously though, he’s seventeen at maximal and I’m twenty-two, so he has to call me hyung”

Minhyun glance at Jaehwan again. He has to agree with Seongwoo this time, Jaehwan looks like at his eighteen at best. But he doesn't believe that Seongwoo is in the same age as him. He still acts very childishly sometimes.

“But you know that someone’s biology age doesn’t increase when they were in that cylinder, don’t you? Usually the effect of the drugs will wear off after three until five years. But I’ve heard that someone was being held for ten years.” says Lay while he’s slowly munching his food. "Jaehwan may have been held there even longer."

“And he’s still sane enough to tell his story? Doubtful. Just three years and I already feel like I’m losing my head” Seongwoo click his tongue. “I will eat my shoes and calls him My Highness Prince Jaehwan if he’s older than me.”

Minhyun had actually no idea what they were talking about, but he pretends that he knows. He maybe should have, if he had actually saved them from the Norden Facility. Seongwoo and Jaehwan should have told him more about their background if they want him to look convincing with the lies. But then again, Minhyun himself is also at fault. Because he always avoids Jaehwan when he said that he wanted to talk to him.

Although he was a front guard of the Norden Prison that located not really far from the Norden Facility, he doesn’t have any idea of what the government does in that facility, nor did he care about it before. People are saying that the Macht are brought there to be healed, to free them from the evil power. He regrets that he never bothers to find out the truth. He keeps his rampant attention with their conversation to connect the dots. And maybe, if he is lucky, they will talk about _him_.

 “How old are you when you were captured though?”

“I was twenty one” Seongwoo’s posture is changed, his smile is vanished and sitting very straight in his chair.

“Oh, I heard that usually, they took the benders from The Village of The Wall when they were about fifteen? Your powers must come out late then.”

“Yeah, I got captured really late” Seongwoo’s voice is low and he holds his spoon so strongly that his knuckles turned to white.

Seemingly ignorant of Seongwoo’s change of emotion, Lay proceeds to talk to Minhyun “I had a patient that I must visit today. Minhyun-ssi, you know some of the medicinal plants that I often use, don’t you? Could you please search for that, Thank you? I have written the list, here.” Looking incredibly tired, Lay hand on a piece of paper to him.

Minhyun is confused; he had never gone to the forest before.

“Oh, and Jaehwan will come with you to show the way,” Lay said, Jaehwan smiles at him.

Minhyun wants to strangle Lay at that very second but chooses to smile instead. “Of course. I’m really happy to help” The corner of his mouth twitches.

  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter is interesting enough! Comments and Kudos are really appreciated. Or you can asks or writes critics. Until the next chapter!


	5. Releasing Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When two people with hate and prejudice meet, it is only time when they are finally exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is actually part of the previous chapter. But it got too long, that I decided to cut it into two.  
> Warning: Mentions of death and suicidal thought.

 

It is raining hard; Minhyun and Jaehwan take a shelter under a huge tree hollow. They were almost finished with collecting the plants when the rain starts pouring down heavily from the sky.

The sounds of the incessant dropping of water to the ground muffled all other voices surrounding them. Beside him, Jaehwan had been telling Minhyun everything about his first experience in the forest with Lay. But Minhyun certainly doesn’t need to know how the fresh air of the forest uplift Jaehwan spirit when he bellows the trees, or how the sun rays peeking beautifully between the leaves or how the falling maple leaves look so sad for him. _It was just leaves._ Minhyun only gives Jaehwan halfhearted answers, but he continues to tears Minhyun’s ears out.

It is ridiculous, Minhyun like to think. The forest looks the same for him. He doesn’t see any difference with the one in Westen Province, the place he was born. True, the species of the tree is different. True too, that there are also less dangerous animals here. So far he hadn’t seen any rattlesnake, crocodiles, or any big cats that Westen Forests have. But he certainly didn’t see the trees glow like Jaehwan said. (He certainly doesn’t want to say that the only glowing thing Minhyun sees is him). And he certainly didn’t hear the trees singing. 

_How can trees even sing? How old is he?_

“You should stop your brain from buzzing too much, hyung” Jaehwan said, laughing. It turns out that Minhyun had said his last musing loudly.

“And no, I don’t know how old I am. The only things that I remember are the events of this past month.” The way Jaehwan lightly said the fact baffles him. But Minhyun decided not to think about it any further.

“I can hear the sounds of your brain’s gears ticking.” Wait, can he really hear that? He doesn’t know for sure how to act around a Macht yet, for he doesn’t know what their capabilities are.

Jaehwan's laugh gets louder, “Of course it’s just imagery, Hyung. I’m not a mind reader like Jisung-hyung, thankfully. But your face is so funny.”

Minhyun feels that his face is heating up. He hopes that it’s not becoming red. How dare this little boy to mock him?

“I don’t make fun of you. Ok, I’ll stop laughing now. Eheheh…” Jaehwan stops his weird loud laugh, but he still chuckles.

Minhyun stunned, the way he chuckles, is really similar with Jonghyun. He shakes his head. No, he must be just imagining it. 

Jehwan coughs several times after that and with a low voice, he sings. It is about love, about the thrilling feeling of meeting the one person that always been destined.

For a first time in a while, Minhyun feels his body is relaxing. He leans his body to the tree trunk and observes the surroundings. The rain had subsided quite a bit, the sunrays shining through them and glints like a little diamonds flying from the skies. Maybe Jaehwan is right, maybe the trees are glowing and singing, maybe he doesn’t need to thinks too hard about everything.

Minhyun glanced at Jaehwan from the corner of his eyes. Jaehwan is singing another song now; it is a song that one of the villager kids singing while he got treatment from Lay. Jaehwan always went missing when there are villagers in that house. But it turns out that he always listens.

Jaehwan’s hand is moving around, following the rhythm of his singing. In front of Jaehwan, the raindrops are forming a water bulb. Then it’s moving and spinning around, just like the movement of Jaehwan’s hand. Minhyun would never admit it, but he is amazed by his bender-power.

Before he could stop, Minhyun blurted “If you can control the water, can you also stop the rain from falling?”

The water bulb stops dancing, and fall with a splash to the already wet ground. “And what good comes from that? Rain falls for a reason, the earth needs it, and hyung, you certainly also need it.”

Minhyun is now very sure that his face is burning red, he can also feel that the tip of his ears is reddening. Jaehwan said that he isn’t a mind reader, but he can read his minds with a very shocking precision. So the embarrassed Minhyun wraps his cloak around his body and runs to the rain. He can hear Jaehwan calls him and follows him, but ignores it.

Behind Minhyun, Jaehwan looks amused as he runs following the most beautiful glow in that forest.

\-----------------------

 

“Are you sure that we should turn right at this junction?” Minhyun asks Jaehwan. They had been walking for two hours after the rain stopped. His clothes are now wet from the rain, sticking uncomfortably on his skin, and his body is freezing.

“I’m sure. Trust me. Just turn right on this way, and we’ll arrive on the field. There, we’ll find the last plant that Lay needs.” Jaehwan looks visibly tired too, but his spirit still doesn’t deter, face glowing with sweats.

Suddenly, something runs past them, followed by a fireball that almost hit Minhyun’s head if only he didn’t quickly duck.

Then stomps of heavy boots are heard. “Argghhhh! Just a bit! I miss it!” followed by an angry growl.

_A fire-bender, Ong Seongwoo, I should have known._

“Seongwoo!” Jaehwan calls the fire bender excitedly although his body is flattening to the ground, having to dodge the fireball too.

“Didn’t Lay warn you not to use your power outside?” Minhyun grumbled angrily as he gets up and uselessly dust his clothes.

_Great. Now not only my clothes are wet, it’s smeared with mud too._

“Why are you here?” Seongwoo ignores Minhyun completely and watching Jaehwan stands, looks amused with how Jaehwan tries hard to stand.

“We’re looking for the last plant that Lays asks us to seek. It supposed to be on the grass field near the river, but I can’t find it.” Jaehwan scratches his neck, he looks embarrassed.

“Didn’t you suppose to turn left on the junction then? Why did you turn right?” Seongwoo laughed. ”I’ll accompany you there. Come!” Seongwoo gestures to Jaehwan to follow him and hoists his game, a half-burned rabbit and a turkey that he earlier throws to the ground when he chases his next prey.

 _That’s too little for a full day hunt_. Minhyun sneers in his head. _I could do better than that._

“Why are you smirking like that?” Seongwoo annoyedly calls out Minhyun.

 _Oh, now he’s talking to me?_   Minhyun raised his left eyebrow and conjures the most mocking expression on his face as best as he could. He is still upset with the fireball Seongwoo throws earlier. “I could easily do better than that” he points out at Seongwoo’s game. “With a mere bow and arrow, I wouldn’t need any superpower.”

“You’re all talk and no action” Seongwoo is jeering at Minhyun. The man in front of him looks too thin and frail to hold a weapon. “Prove it!” He shoves his bow and his arrow pouch that was dangling uselessly in his back to Minhyun with too much power. Having not expected Seongwoo’s blow, Minhyun lost his balance and falls into a puddle of mud. Seongwoo looks down at him with the smuggest expression he’s ever seen in a man’s face.

_I would certainly wipe that smug face from him. Even if that’s the last thing I could do._

Not long after, Seongwoo, Minhyun, and Jaehwan are hiding behind bushes, spying on a herd of deer that unsuspectingly eating grass in a wide field near the river. They are staying still, almost not breathing, afraid that the littlest movements will make the herd aware of them.

In the center of the herd, a stag is standing proudly, his antlers are shining as if it threatens whoever crosses his territory. That particular stag is the one that Minhyun after. It would surely brush off the smug expression of the water bender forever. So Minhyun holds the bow and aiming the arrows carefully as he is eyeing every movement of the stag carefully.

The arrow is released from the bow with a small whoosh sound and embedded in the right hind leg of the stag. The stag is still standing stubbornly; the other deer are running haphazardly from the field, crossing the river. With quick movements, Minhyun gets up and released another arrow to the neck of the stag and another on the eye. The stag is fallen to the ground with a loud sound instantly.

Seongwoo and Minhyun then run, approaching the stag. Jaehwan is quite far behind them because the two was running really fast.

Seongwoo observes the stag carefully. Minhyun's shoot was really clean and accurate. The wounds aren’t that big, but very deadly. To say the least, Seongwoo is really angry, not even in a million years he is willing to admit that he is defeated by a Fehlen soldier. 

“I’ve proved that I can hunt better without that useless power like yours,” Minhyun said his words venomously.

Now Seongwoo is not only fuming, but filled with a full rage. Suddenly he’s thrust himself to Minhyun’s and locks him with a tight hold.

“Useless you said?” Seongwoo said as he tightens his headlock.

“No words that describe a Macht better than useless. Illiterate and archaic would come next. How can you all even still live like a caveman with no technologies?” Minhyun spat. He was really frustrated, now he can’t even pretend to hide his hatred.

 Seongwoo laughs dangerously “What do you even know about us, huh? You said that our power is useless but guess where the energy ball that you people used, comes from? US!”

 “What do you mean? You are a filthy liar!” Minhyun spat again.

“You don’t know? Of course, a lowly soldier like you wouldn’t know anything. Do you even know why the Macht are being locked inside the wall? Do you even know what you people did to us after we’re being held in the great Facility of yours? They raised us like a mere cattle and milked our energy for your own pleasure!”

With his full power, he elbowed Seongwoo’s the stomach. He then blows Seongwoo’s head with his fist as hard as he could. A quick succession followed, he flipped Seongwoo to the ground and now their position is reversed. Minhyun pressed Seongwoo’s body under and strangled him.

 “You deserved that,” Minhyun said angrily. “Macht deserves that. After the third Great War, your kind made the non-benders a slave. You guys kill so many of us. Even now, you guys keep on killing; you all are a fucking bloodthirsty killer!”

“Hahaha… Very funny that you said that.” Seongwoo’s nose is broken, blood is flowing from his nose, but his gaze is still fiery. “Do you know what they did to us after they suck our energy dry, huh? They fucking kill us! Is it an eye for an eye then? Argentum people are no better than us.” Seongwoo spits on Minhyun.

“Besides, you are just a lowly Fehlen. You are too, the descendants of Macht. Do you think the Argentum’s people forgive the Fehlen?”

“Shut up!” Minhyun screams as he hit Seongwoo's head even harder than before.

But Seongwoo doesn’t stop. “You are deluded to think they will ever deem you as an equal. They didn’t give you the important information, did they? You are worthless.”

“Shut up! I’m not a Macht like you! You are the one who is worthless”

“Stop pretending you are better than us! Do you think that we are stupid? Why did you think Lay easily trusted you to take care of his place while he is away? Because you had no other place to return! Lay excreted a bullet from your wound. And guess who the only one who uses guns, huh? Argentum’s soldier. Surprise for you, we, Macht, never use Guns. 

They are already wanted you died before you even met us, aren't they? What did you even do?” Seongwoo conjures his energy and grabbed Minhyun’s hand.

Minhyun screams, Seongwoo’s hands burned him. He quickly let go of his hands from Seongwoo’s neck and sheathes his sword. He holds his twin sword in each of his hand and readies his posture to fight. In front of him, Seongwoo is also standing. The red flames are dancing dangerously in his hand, ready to attack.

“Seongwoo, Minhyun, Stop!” Minhyun could hear Jaehwan calling them. But he doesn’t care; his ears are already ringing with anger. No, he will not back off.

“Don’t ever pretend that you have your life harder than us. Do you think that we had our life easy? Do you even know what _they_ made the boy did?”

“I SAID STOP!” Jaehwan screams as he conjures the water from the river and flushed them. Seongwoo and Minhyun’s bodies are all wet. The fire in Seongwoo’s hand had been extinguished.

Minhyun still feels very angry, but he has no will to fight anymore. So he runs from that field. He heard Seongwoo’s mocking scream and he heard Jaehwan calling for him. Did the boy know? Did he also know? Did he smile at him all this time while hiding a mockery behind him? Why does it even important for him? 

Minhyun didn’t know how long had he run. He only sees trees after trees, running carelessly, deeper into the forest. His head had been a mess. He didn’t even know why did he so angry. Is it because they can see through the mask that he thought he had been put so perfectly? Or is it because he regretted that he had been putting his guard down carelessly? For a while, he felt some kinds of fake normality. Without he realized, he had been falling into an amenity of being surrounded by people who needs him. So twisted, that he felt the need to be acknowledged by the people that he declares he hated. Why did he become so weak after he was losing his consciousness?

It is right, the fire-bender was right. He had nothing. He had no one that will wait for his arrival. The words hurt him so much because how true it was.

_He had no one._

_So why, then, he is still trying to live?_

Minhyun stops. He was running quite far, that he almost can’t breathe again. So he resigns in his place and inhales the air deeply. He felt crushed. He is crushed.

He doesn’t know how long had he been staying still. He heard soft footsteps approaching him. So, pretending that he hadn’t heard anything, he gathers his energy and begins to walk deeper into the forest again.

The trees are becoming thicker the further he walks. It is also becoming quieter, there almost no sounds. He doesn’t even hear insects buzzing, just those soft footsteps, that is now accompanied by occasional growls and grunts, as Minhyun taken the steeper way of the forest, climbs higher and higher. He then goes out from the designated road and walks between thick trees stalks.

He then heard a yelps and the sound of someone falls to the ground behind him. That person is still not saying anything. He doesn’t call his name. So for a while, Minhyun is keeping on climbing the slippery ground. That maybe deters that person from following him further.

But then Minhyun arrived on the top of the small hill, and he can’t walk even further. In front of him, there is a pretty steep cliff. The person had arrived, he is gasping for breath.

“Why are you following me?” Minhyun says, venom is dripping in his voice; he doesn’t care to keep on wearing the mask. What use is it now? He must already know. He was there. He was listening too

“Hyung,” Jaehwan say, between his gasping breathe. “It’s dangerous to walk further into the forest. There are many dangerous animals here.”

Minhyun is baffled. Why does this boy keep on pretending that he actually cares for him?

 “What? You care?” Minhyun can’t stand it anymore. He doesn’t believe it that for the first time he had put his guard down in front of someone. “What do you want for me? Why did you even save me before? What do you gain by saving me? SAID IT!” 

“Hyung…”

“WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT FROM ME?” Minhyun screams. He is tired and angry.

Jaehwan is still gasping for breath, but he approaches Minhyun and staring straight into Minhyun eyes. “The question is not what I want from you, hyung. The question is what _you_ want?”

Minhyun can’t believe his ears. This kid is still talking with riddles at him.     

What is it that he wants? Ever since he found out that Jonghyun is dead, nothing in the world matters for him. He was the only person he ever loved, the only person that means something after Dongho and Minki never to be found again in the great fire that burns their orphanage. 

Yet, to that precious person, he had said the most hurtful words. Had he known that it would be the last time, he would do everything to prevent Jonghyun from going back there.

Regrets are the only thing he had lived with ever since he got the notice from Norden Military, informing him that he was dead. It was just a piece of paper and a few things of Jonghyun’s possession; A small note that Jonghyun always brings everywhere, twin swords with the letter of J engraved on its stalk and Jonghyun’s military clothes. 

The military only allowed him to see his body for a short while, to confirm that the body that lies in the coffin is really him. It was him, but at the same time, it was really different than the last time he had seen him. It’s like he had gone through a severe aging process that the only thing left is his skin and bone, dry and sunken. The military never even bother to tell Minhyun the reason for Jonghyun's death.

How, did Minhyun not died yet, is a question that he has every morning. How did he even still living, when he doesn’t feel that his life worth something again. It had always been for Jonghyun’s smile. But he had lost that. He now only holding on a thin thread with a great despair of finding the reason or the one that killed Jonghyun. Him, the Macht that killed his precious person. That much, he had known.

 Minhyun gritted his teeth so hard that he can feel blood sipping in his mouth. _What,_ did he actually want to tell the boy about that? The boy that he had only known for two weeks? Moreover, his _kind_ had been always been the bane of Minhyun’s existence.   

Decided that he there is no point of having a further conversation with Jaehwan, Minhyun turns and walk away from him. And he walks further and further, ignoring Jaehwan that calls for his name, ignoring, when he heard the loud sounds of something falling to the cliff.  

\------------------------------------ 

 

When Minhyun walks away, Jaehwan follows him again. But the top of that hill was really slippery from the rain, and he slipped from the said hill into the cliff. He calls for Minhyun’s name over and over as he desperately trying to holding on to the roots that sticking out around him, but the root was also very slippery, so he found his body falling even further to the bottom of the cliff.    

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wondering how the readers think about my writing. If the language too awkward? Does the story didn't flow naturally? Or did the story (even if it's a fantasy) even have any logic and I force the fact too much? Or is the character feel real? Did it still interesting? Was it confusing? I have too many questions.
> 
> So I really appreciate every bit of comments. It really gives me the motivation to continue. As I'm not really sure if I will continue this.  
> Kudos is also really appreciated.
> 
> NB. With the recent event in K-Pop, I'm really sorry that I mention the death of one of the character. And I'm belatedly realized that he had the same name. Everything that happens here is only fiction. I hope it will not trigger you.  
> Have a good day everyone!  
> Thank you for reading, commenting, or giving kudos!


	6. It’s Not the Beginning of The End, Or Is It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There are no better words to start a story, don’t you think?” The older boy smiled. “And don’t you dare to sleep, okay? You always sleep when I read you stories” He scolded the little fox-eyed boy. Although not serious, the older boy never gets mad, no matter what prank the little fox-eyed boy did to him. “We’re Argentum’s people too. You will get problems if you don’t know the history of Argentum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the story progressed, I've been wondering about the right time to tell the backstory, how the characters' world becomes like that. Maybe it had lead to some confusion.   
> It's history time! and it will a bit heavy and dark, but I hope you'll still find it interesting. The revelation of the past, with a very minimal dose of fluff.  
> And, the title of this story is taken from Wanna One Golden Age teaser.

_A few years back, Westen Province, in an Orphanage of Fehlen Community, not far from The Village of The Wall_

 

“Once upon a time,” he said to a little boy with a straight blond hair and fox-like eyes. The boy looked tired, yawned and stretched his body, then cuddled to him, felt safe and protected. Himself that just a few years older than the fox-eyed boy, with the chapped hands because of a day-long clothes washing, turned the page of an already crumpled book. Crumpled, like all the books they had there.

 

The boy didn’t want to hear the story. He had already heard the same story for maybe a million times, but it was always nice to hear the older boy’s calming voice, as he had spent the rest of his day selling flowers in the crowded market nearby, that filled with nasty grabby hands and distasteful voices. Though, a quite successful selling, you could say, as people on the market was falling for his beautiful face and cute smiles. In the first place, that was the reason for the head Orphanage made him sell flowers and not labor works like what the other kids did. Of course, the boy can’t argue and sucked all his complains inside when the head of the orphanage made him do it, for the burly, fat, long-bearded, with the always present red eyes man, and slimy fingers always scare the boy.    

 

“There are no better words to start a story, don’t you think?” The older boy smiled his calming smiles. “And don’t you dare to sleep, okay? You always sleep when I read you stories” He scolded the little fox-eyed boy. Although not serious, the older boy never gets mad, no matter what prank the little fox-eyed boy pulled to him. “We’re Argentum’s people too. You will get problems if you don’t know the history of Argentum.”

 

“And, history is very important,” The older boy’s eyes are gleaming with excitement. “How come that it’s all becomes like this? How did our forefathers live? They will be very disappointed if we never learn from their experience and made the same mistake, Hyun-ah. That, Are the way of the fools.”

 

The little fox-eyed boy was only humming and snuggling even closer to the older. He didn’t care about history or anything; it won’t make his stomach full. He just wanted to feel comfortable now.

 

“All was started after the third Great War. Do you know what the third Great War is?” The older boy automatically stroked the little boy’s soft hair. “It is said that the union of the great countries having an enormous war that was never seen before; with big guns and weapons, also, something that called nuclear? Don’t ask me what it is, I don’t know” The older boy scratched his head, oblivious that the little boy had already slept. “So enormous, that after the war the earth became barren and damaged. After that, only one-hundredth of its original parts can be lived by the humans. Ninety percent of the human population was lost. It was so damaged, that there was barely anything that the humans can eat.

 

For hundredth of years, the human lived in that miserable condition. Most of the technology that our ancestors used to have were lost and forgotten. Humans lived just like the animals. But then, after the long long years, people with the power bender ability were born. These people had the powers to bend the natural power, air, water, earth, and fire. With their power, slowly but sure, human gained their humanity back. They helped each other to live a better life. For a while, life became bearable. It is still very hard, but for the first time, they felt like they had hope.

 

As the populations of human were developed, the populations of the power bender were also multiplied. The bender powers were inherited from the parents to their children. With the powers, they developed the society. As their position became more and more important, the benders overtook the prominent roles and became the leaders of the society.

 

People with the same bender powers then forming groups, and not long after, the human society was divided into four countries: The country of Fire, Suzaku; The country of water, Genbu; the country of Wind, Seiryu, and the country of earth, Byakku. For a long while, Humanity regained its prosperity. The leaders of the countries governed justly. But the difference between the non-benders and benders becomes more and more apparent. The leader position of the countries that supposedly chosen by the people became an inherited position. The non-benders no longer had a say in the government, as the government official must have a bender power to be chosen. The non-benders could only do the labor hard work, mining, farming, and rearing animals. The position of non-benders became more and more lessened. There was even the time that the non-benders are being sold as slaves and playthings. The benders disregard the non-bender as a human.

 

But the four great countries revealed their power-hungry nature, each was so proud and haughty with their abilities. But inside, they always had insecurities and suspicion to each other, afraid that they will get defeated and their lands were taken. So they strengthened their military force, and some of them make a coalition. Genbu and Byakku were united, and on the other hand, Suzaku and Seiryu signed a secret alliance. The tensions between the countries were high. Each country was competing to enhance their military power by making experiments, which produced benders with powers beyond the four natural powers. People with the power to bend time, people with telekinetic or even people with healing power were born and became the secret weapons of each country.

 

But, as the benders power varied, the four elements bender powers’ were slowly diminished. The water bender that supposed to have the power to bend the various form of water, be it liquid or solid form, lost their ability, became an only water-benders or ice-benders. The fire benders that before could conjure lightning was unable to do so again.  And the most severe was that some people lost their ability to inherit the bender power from the parents. Thus, forming a new group in the society that called the Fehlen. And of course, even if they didn’t receive the same cruel treatment like the non-benders got, they were never regarded as an equal again.

 

The tension between the countries maintained for other hundredth years. But the dissatisfaction because the cold war that brought many inconveniences for the people grew and a treaty of peace was then forced to be made. The people almost gave a sigh of relieve when Seiryu and Genbu finally made an agreement of peace and ended the cold war.

 

But then, one night, a tragedy happened. The High Prince of the Water Country, Genbu, was found dead. Bloodily body, scarred and almost couldn’t be recognized. Fingers were pointing at each other, and the country of Wind, Seiryu, became the prime suspect. Even though Seiryu refused to acknowledge that they killed the High Prince, Genbu couldn’t accept that and declares a war against Seiryu. This, of course, entangled the other two countries and thus, starting the Fourth Great War.

 

Within the war, the ugliness of the power-benders became more apparent. Not only greedy and cruel, they are also the biggest coward and hypocrites as they put the non-benders as the front-line soldiers in the war. Once again, humanity reached their lowest level. The earth lost its liveable territory even more. There were so many people died, the Benders, the Fehlen, and the Non-Benders alike.

 

The older boy sighed with annoyance, but not long after his expression became bright again, as the book reached his favorite part. “But, do you know Hyun-ah, even though in the devastated condition, our ancestors had never given up. Without the Benders knowing, long before the Fourth Great War even started, some of the non-benders secretly forming a rebellion group. They worked hard to find a way to defeat the benders power. And after a long and rigorous struggle, they found it! The black stone, which is formed deep below a big silver tree, in the place that until now being kept secret, that can eliminate the bender powers if the benders touch them.

 

Together with the Fehlen group, they formed a group of soldiers. As the Fourth Great War weakened the four countries, they fought the benders that had enslaved them and managed to conquer them. The Non-Benders and the Fehlen then formed a country, like we knew now as Argentum. And not only that, the scientist had also invented many technologies that made us live well without the use of bender-powers! We can just easily insert the energy balls into the machine, and it got turned on!” The boy smiles proudly.

 

“You know what they said, the righteous will always prevail! And we, are the proud people of Argentum!” His eyes were shining.

 

 “And as you know, the benders that were captured now lived separately from us, in the villages inside the wall. They will not disturb us again.” The boys frowned as he continues “But you have to be careful, some of the benders were managed to run away and hide before they were being captured. They are called The Rogue. And they are so dangerous, Hyun-ah. You’ve heard the great fire not far from here, two days ago, don’t you? People said that it was caused by the Rouge.

 

Why did they even do that though, our government is so kind, Hyun-ah. They captured the power-benders, or what we called now, Macht, to cleanse them, from the evil power that they had,” said the boy with excitement. He then finally realized that the little fox-eyed boy already sleeps, and stroked the boy’s silky hair lovingly.

 

Decided that the night was already late, he closed the book and carefully put it back to the selves. If the head orphanage saw any little untidiness, he would be beaten badly. He felt the slight pain from his back that not fully healed as he moved.

 

 _It is okay_ , he thinks.

 

 _I will grow up into a fine and righteous soldier, just like the founding fathers of Argentum. And then, I will fight all the bad people._ He pulled a thin small blanket and enveloped him and the little fox-eyed boy bodies. The blanket couldn’t cover him entirely, as he grows taller and taller.

 

 _I will bring Minhyun, Minki, and Dongho away from this orphanage, to Norden, where the eternal snows lie, just like Minhyun wanted. We will live there together forever happily._ He sighed dreamily, and pulled the fox-eyed boy, Minhyun, into his hug.

 

Not long after, two boys entered the room quietly, attempted to not disturb the other two boys that already sleeping. The attempt was proven useless, as the older boy, Jonghyun opened his eyes again, and sat. “Minki, Dongho, where had you been?”

 

The boy with burly body answered carefully “I’m sorry, hyung. Minki and I got lost again in the forest”.

 

“I was worried about you two, it’s fortunate that the head orphanage didn’t found out that you were not here. Here, quickly, sleep. We have to work hard again tomorrow.” The older boy stretched his body and slumped again beneath the blanket. He was oblivious, with how nervous the two boys looked. How the boy with thin and frail body shakes, tries to hide his crying. He was oblivious to how worried the burly boy looked as he patted the frail’s boy hair and silently whispered calming words as he hugged him to sleep.

   

Jonghyun was oblivious to how the Macht lived inside the wall. Will he even care to find out? To him, they were an evil force that must be defeated.

 

He was also oblivious, that his Government, the Argentum that he loved and respected so much, do the almost exact thing like what the Benders do to the non-Benders in the past. Force them to live like herds of cattle, being fed and nurtured only for the selected few of them to be captured and put in the facilities at the early age of fifteen, where their energy, their bender power milked dry. Being cheated and being lied, that they are the chosen few that will get a wonderful life outside the wall. 

 

And of course, how would he know what happened to the benders after they’ve been milked dry? After they are deemed useless as the drugs that put them into the state of unconsciousness couldn’t be worked again? How did the benders turn into a mere body without a soul?

 

Did he even aware, that Argentum had been regressed for a quite while, and continue to regress after the largest Earthquake in Argentum's history happened? How the rebellion in the various Village of the Wall in the different places of the country happens more often and the Government having a hard time putting down Rogue's attack? How desperate were they trying to prevent the news from leaking to the Argentum's people?

 

And what would happen to the boy as he grew up into a strong, wise, and dependable soldier? As he left his hometown to the Norden Province, following his dream, following the duty that Argentum’s Military gave him? 

 

As he saw, with his own eyes for the first time, the Macht that were brought out from the facility, clean from the evil power at last. They were sitting calm and collected, _or barely moved, or even blinked,_ if he acknowledged the voice inside his head _,_ with a permanent smile plastered on their faces, and deep black eyes with nothingness inside as they stared nowhere. 

 

Or as he finally given the secret about his oh, so beloved country, that was also responsible for the death of millions of people, The Benders, The Non-Benders, and The Fehlen. Would he, at last, opened his eyes and woken up to really sees his surrounding? Would he decided that the Macht befit the treatments befell upon them? And let his consciousness, his self-righteousness being eaten away?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many things that I want to say (but I forgot most of them already. ^^;)  
> \- Firstly, thanks a lot to all the people that had left the comments and kudos! It helped me a lot.  
> \- Some parts of the story were taken from what I've read about the History of World War I.  
> \- There's a phrase that always lingering in my head: History belongs to the winner. Do you think this phrase is right?  
> What is wrong? What is right? Please not pass your judgment to others so easily and always have curious minds.  
> \- Jisung, Daniel, and Woojin belonged to the Villagers of The Wall.  
> EXO is one of the Rogue groups.  
> \- Jonghyun's character got revealed quite a lot here, don't you think. You must already have an idea of how he ends up like what I've written in the last chapter.  
> -If you have any confusion about this story or wants to give critique or comments about this story, I would gladly receive it!


	7. Run, you fool!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of Chapter 5.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There would be talks about suicidal thought, and panic attack scene.

Jaehwan is gasping hard. He grabs the roots with all of his might, but he can feel his strength decreasing. Slowly but sure, his grip on the root is slipping away. He tried to plant his feet on the wall of the cliff, but the day-long rains make the wall of the cliffs slippery. His fall is slowing, but his body is still falling deeper and deeper into the bottom. There is no body of water around him. His power is useless.

As he reached the bottom of the cliff, he realized that the plantation in the bottom of the cliff was really thick. Although he was falling from a quite high place, his body was not crashed and still whole. But he feels stinging pains from pain from his right heels, must be the impact when he’s trying so hard to prevent the fall by planting his feet in the cliff’s wall.

The plantation surroundings him was so thick and dark that he almost can’t see his own hands. He can only see specks of light, far above him. His heart is running at high speed and he is breathing very hard, harder than before. 

The darkness. It feels like it suppresses and pushes him down.

_No. He is no longer in that cylinder. Jaehwan tries to calm his mind_

_No no no, he had gone out._

He calls for Minhyun’s name again, over and over.

 _Did he not hear me? Hadn’t he seen me fall?_ The sense of cold abandonment feels familiar to him.

He calls for help, again, again, and again.

 _No one hears_. _No one will hear._

 _No, he heard me_. _He comes to me._

Jaehwan feels the helplessness come again.

 _No, it wouldn’t happen again. I am stronger._ Jaehwan gritted his teeth until he can taste blood in his mouth. _I had promised that I would be stronger_.

With shaking body, he tries to get up, but he was being locked in that place. He could feel the vines of the plant slithers around his body.

_He could feel hands were gripping him so hard, locking him in the ground._

_The hands were holding his mouth closed. He couldn’t scream._

_Who? Who? Who?  He couldn’t see. It was so dark._

Jaehwan tries to clear his head. It is different. The one that locks him tightly now is not hands. He concentrates on the feeling; it is creeping and slipping between his feet. He holds the vine with his palm, the vines withers, but others vine slithers and slipping and binding his arms above his head, making him unable to move.

Jaehwan trying to pull his feet and hands. Tugging and yanking, with no success. He feels that his energy draining more and more as the vines bind him tighter. With the last energy, he is screaming for help.  

The faces of the people that were frozen in horror and shock are appearing from the dark. They were getting closer and closer to him as if waiting for him to come with them.

 _No no no_ , he can’t leave now. _Minhyun. I need to meet Minhyun._

But the darkness surrounding him becoming denser, as the vines cover his body and his head blocks the light completely. Jaehwan feels his muscles, and all of his senses weakened, loosened.

It was dark when he was losing his consciousness.

And it is dark now too.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Minhyun is running in the hope of erasing that voice from his head, his voice, he runs so fast, like he never did before.

Yes, he had heard the desperate voice of Jaehwan. He had heard the sound of his body falling to the cliff.  A sickening sound, it is making him nauseous. But it doesn’t make him decrease his pace. He still runs, even when he falls, he gets up and running again.

_I’m not wrong. I’m not wrong. I’m not wrong._

He keeps on chanting in his head.

_He is a Macht. He is a Macht. He is a Macht. The less his kinds exist, the better the world will become._

_But Minhyun, he never did a wrong thing to you._ The voice that sounds so similar to Jonghyun’s voice keeps scolding him. _What did he ever do to you?_

 _He is a Macht. That is enough for a reason. The fact that he lives, that he breathes._ Minhyun is trying to reason.  
_He is a killer, even if he isn’t; he will be a killer someday. With that power of him, he is dangerous; he is a threat to humanity. What I did is a service to humanity._

 _Minhyun…_ The voice sounds so disappointed with him and completely disappears after that.

What would he do now? Can he pretend that he never knew that he abandoned the boy? Would the other two Macht believe him? He was staying with the Macht in the pretense of knowing the identity of the one who had killed Jonghyun.

_Coward. Coward. Coward._

But what would they know? He never heard anything about that particular Macht being talked about there. They have no idea about that. There is no point in staying. Besides, the fire bender must have seen Jaehwan following him into the forest. It would be weird if he is back without that boy. Even if he had no idea about where the boy is, he would still be blamed. Lay, the seemingly meek healer had made them promised to never leave each other.   

_Coward. Coward. Coward._

So he had no other choice than leave that place.

Where though?

Where would he run? Where can he run?

He finally stops and pays attention to his surroundings. The air feels heavier and cold in that part of the forest. The trees are big and thick. He almost could hear a low hiss in the air, and shadows moving from one tree to the other.

He is lost.

He had run even deeper into the forest, almost approached the mountain.  He must have run to the opposite side of the forest. Should he then go even closer to the mountain? If he takes a detour to the other side of the mountain, he won’t have to pass the village, won’t he? But how can he be certain which direction he’ll go? For all he knows, he could go around through the forest, making a circle and he would have no idea. Besides, the sun is almost set and it would be so hard to find a way. 

Minhyun laughs. How hilarious, he thinks.

He wants to run away from the Macht, but he lost here, can’t even get out from the forest. 

And what even will happen to him, when he somehow manages to get out from the forest? The Argentum’s military will hunt and kill him. What’s with his face that had been plastered everywhere?

So Minhyun sits on the ground, leaning his back on a tree stalk, not caring about anything. He never felt so useless like this.

Not long after, Minhyun sees a glint of light in the distance, behind the trees, that’s slowly approaching him. At first, there was only two light, but the lights multiply, four, six, eight, until he can’t count the numbers anymore. No. He is wrong. Those are not lights, those are _eyes_.

He hears a low growl, crackling sounds, rumbling, that instantly makes all the hair in Minhyun’s nape stand and his body grows cold. It was just a dark figure, quite far from him, but it slowly crawling out from the shadows. 

A big wolf, but unlike any wolf, its height is about half of Minhyun’s body, his black short fur are coarse and rough. The head is small and long, with its eyes staring wildly at him from the sides. As the _wolf_ barks loudly Minhyun can see rows of sharp teeth with its saliva dripping from the corner of its muzzle. Other figures are moving behind the wolf, as vicious as the first with grey, chocolate fur, and almost as big.     

Minhyun’s his heart is drumming so loudly and his head are screaming at him to run from that place. But he can’t move; he is frozen.

 _This is it. This is the end,_ Minhyun thinks. _This is my end. It would be fast, won’t it?_ This is what he gets for his entire mistake. This is what he must pay, for being a cruel, hypocrite, and coward person.

The black wolf jumps at him, Minhyun doesn’t even try to dodge.

But he sees red in front of him, as the neck of the wolf bursting open, spurting blood everywhere, painting his face with red color.

Lay is standing in front of him. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STAND YOU FOOL!!”

His usual smile or warm gaze is gone completely, replaced by an uninhibited anger and rage, like its being lighten by fire. Minhyun felt an even greater dread then when he sees the big wolf washing his body.  Another dog is jumping at Lay, and with a quick sweeping movement, he tore its stomach open.

“WATCH OUT!” Minhyun finally found his voice that had been missing. Two other wolves are jumping at Lay, one of them manages to bite his left arm, another bites his right leg. Strangely enough, Lay’s face is calm; he doesn’t even scream or groan.

But Minhyun doesn’t know what happens with Lay after that, as one of the wolves with brown fur jumps at Minhyun, and with a loud sound, he falls to the ground. With a quick reflex of his hands, he manages to avoid the wolf from tearing his neck apart. He holds his sheathed sword with both of his hand, trying to pull the wolf’s open mouth from nearing his head further. He tried to throw the wolf’s body from him, but he feels that he is slowly losing his strength.

Then Minhyun hears a high tone cling, and his head is drenched by the wolf’s blood again, as Lay swinging his sword and tore the wolf’s body into two parts.

“STAND!!” Lay screams at him, his voice is as fierce as before. There are no wounds in his body, only his left sleeve and right pant are being torn. The two wolves that were biting him are laying on the ground, unmoved, but also no open wounds in the animals’ body.

Minhyun quickly stands, sheaths his twin sword, and get ready for the attack.

 _This is not the right time to die. Not now._ Not by being defeated by ugly animals, and being saved once again by a Macht, without him making any attempt to fight back.

_Control your head and control your heart. If you had not seen any gap to attack, defense as best as you could. And be patient, then you can see it, the crack where you can attack._

Minhyun throws one of his twin swords swiftly to a wolf that about to attack and jumps to Lay. The sword accurately piercing through the neck of the wolf and the animal falls to the wet ground with a loud howl. With a quick movement, he pulls his sword as Lay says thanks to him. But there is no time to rest for them, even though many of the wolves are defeated by Lay, the rest of the wolf don’t show any sign of surrender.

Lay's sword is dancing again, and with swift movements, it pierced through the body of a wolf. Then he lifts and strangles the neck of that wolf, in an instant, the body of the wolf going limp.

Even when Minhyun is busy defending himself from the attack of the wolves, he can’t help but admire Lay’s sword skills. He is easily one of the best swordsmen he is ever seen.

Not long after, most of the wolves are already defeated. But some of them are running back to the forest.

Minhyun’s body is spent. With a strong grip on his sword, he prevents his body from falling to the ground. His body is exhausted but Lay pulls his arms harshly, force him to stand again.

“We don’t have time to rest now,” Lay said, urgently.

Minhyun remembers the previous incident. He should say it to Lay. He should say it now, even though he doesn’t know which way to go back to the place where Jaehwan falls. But Lay must know, he can help him, he must help him.

“Lay-ssi, wait…” Minhyun’s voice is hoarse. “Wait… please hear me.”

“We should go quickly from here, the Wargs might come again and bring more of his herd. Besides, the smell of blood will attract another animal. Quick, stand up.” Minhyun doesn’t have any choice other than following Lay, for he pulls Minhyun really harshly, and he doesn’t have any energy to stop Lay.

So they are marching through the thick trees. Finally, he can see the roads. Right, left, right, right, right, turn left; crossing a small river, after that, Minhyun can’t follow the direction of the way that Lay had taken anymore. But he notices that the trees become less thick and less tall. The glows of the dusking sky is peeking through the leaves as the weight of the air surrounding them lessened, and he can hear the sounds of the chirping bird and buzzing insects again.

Lay and Minhyun are finally stopped running when they reach a riverbank. Minhyun dropped his body to the ground, taking the air as much as he can, coughing and wheezing. Lay plunges himself into the river and washes his body and his sword from the Warg’s blood. Not long after, he is back to the place where Minhyun sitting.

“FOOL! WHY DID YOU GO SO DEEP INTO THE FOREST! AND DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO NEVER LEAVE THE ROAD?!” Lay looks really angry, but his expression had considerably softened. The harsh face that he had when fighting the wolves, or the Wargs, had gone. He breathes deeply, calming his nerves. “There is no place in this world where it’s safe, Minhyun-ssi. Haven’t you had your lesson already?.” Lay said with a softer voice. “Never, ever put your guard down!” 

As if he only remembers now, “And why did you alone, where is Jaehwan?” asks Lay sharply. Minhyun can feel his gaze piercing through his brain.

“Jaehwan…” Minhyun gulped. He wants to say the truth, that Jaehwan was falling, that he had left him, in a place which he can't remember. “Jaehwan…” Minhyun’s voice is shaking. He can hear his heart thumping loudly that Lay must have heard it. He is afraid. He still remembers how Lay had looked like back then. It never occurs to Minhyun to be afraid with Macht. He had a fair share number of fight himself and never back down from any of them. He is always sure with his fighting ability that he is so sure he will defeat any Macht that he faces. But here he stands, shaking, losing his minds. 

But he has to say it. Maybe there’s still a chance to save him.

“Minhyun-ssi, where is Jaehwan?” he can hear a warning in Lay’s voice.

Suddenly,

“Lay-ssi!!” Minhyun hears a voice of an unknown man.

“Lay-ssi!” Minhyun can hear the second voice, the voice of the person that he had been thinking about.

There are two men approaching them. One of them is a hunter that he often saw visit Lay from time to time to buy Lay’s medical concoction. He is a tall lanky man with wavy brown hair and clear brown eyes that shaped like a puppy's eyes.  He is wearing a long brown hunting coat, and Minhyun can see a longbow and arrows pouch behind his back and a long sword in his waist.

But Minhyun’s eyes quickly focused on the boy that walking behind the man with the help of a stick. Every step that he takes looks difficult, as he was grimacing throughout. Minhyun holds his breath; he can’t take his eyes from the boy, as he can’t believe what he sees. He felt relieved, but at the same time, he felt shame coursing on his stomach. Their gaze met, and the boy stares at him, without inhibition, an unreadable emotion is swimming in his eyes, but it is different from how he usually looks at Minhyun. This time, Minhyun doesn’t shift his gaze. He is halfway opening his mouth, but he closed it again. He doesn’t even dare to feel guilty to the boy.  

“Sewoon-ssi!” Lay calls the first man. But as soon as he sees the boy, he approaches him with an expression of worry evident on his face. “Jaehwan-ssi! What happened?” The boy tore his gaze at Minhyun and smiling at Lay.

“Why did you hurt? Why had you separated from Minhyun? What happened?” Lay asks so fast, he grabbed the boy’s shoulder so hard, almost shaking him.

\--------------------------------------

_It was dark surrounding him._

_Finally, he surrendered to the power around him that bind him so tightly._

_But he could hear faint voice calls._

_“Don’t give up! Don’t you dare to give up!”_

_He could feel the heat and the vines that bind him loosened. The sounds of swishing sword and the faint hissing sounds from the vines are filling his ears. When the vines that binding his hands and his body loosened, he could saw a shadow of a glowing orange color. A man, which was holding a torch in one hand and a long sword in the other. The vines are attacking the man, slithering around him. But it quickly retreats, when the man swinging his torch, afraid of the fire, afraid of getting burnt. The vines are retreating from him completely, and his body drops harshly to the ground._

_Jaehwan growls and groaned, but feeling so thankful that he could feel the solid wet ground beneath his body._

_The man approached him, as he sheathed his sword back in his waist. “Are you alright? Can you stand?” The brown-haired man stretches his hands to help Jaehwan stand. But_

_Jaehwan quickly retreats from him and replied him a little too harshly, “Don’t touch! I can stand.”_

_“Uh… okay.” He was taken aback by Jaehwan’s reaction, that Jaehwan feels sorry for the man._

_“I’m okay. Thank you.” Jaehwan held a tree tightly and he hoisted his body to a standing position. But he made a mistake when his right foot stepped to support his body. The sharp pain coursing through his body, almost made him fall again._

_“Are you sure that you’re okay?” worry was evident in the man’s voice. “I know, wait for me here. Don’t go anywhere.” Jaehwan wanted to laugh, he could even barely stand._

_Not long after, the man back with a solid looking wood stalk, almost like a walking stick. “Here, you could use this.” He then pulls out a green flask and bandages from his sling bag. “A concoction from our village’s physician. Rub it on your feet and wrap it with the bandage. It would help a lot.”_

_“Ah. The name is Jung Sewoon. I’m a hunter.” He sheepishly grinned at Jaehwan as he rubs his neck shyly. Sewoon is waiting patiently for him. After he was finished bandaging his right feet, they walk away from that place. Even though Jaehwan could only do it at a slow pace, Sewoon patiently waiting for him. He tells Jaehwan that he was collecting for Medicinal Plants to be sold in the nearest town and there are particularly rare plants on the bottom of the cliff._

_“The forest is becoming nastier, I don’t know why. It used to be so beautiful in the past. There are many weird plants and animals now.” Sewoon shook his head with a sad expression._

_“Oh, look! That is the physician I told you!”_

_Jaehwan looked the glows near the river, bright green and dark yellow, which approached by the orange glows, and quickened his steps._

\------------------------------------------------

“I’m okay, Lay-ssi, I wasn’t careful and fall.” Jaehwan answers Lay with a sweet smile.

 Finally recognizing the state Lay is in, Jaehwan steps back “I could ask the same thing to you too, Lay-ssi.”

”No, actually, don’t come near me. You are wet. Is that blood? Why do you and Minhyun-hyung drench in blood?” Jaehwan frowns and pinched his nose.

“Ah,” Lay said, he already forgot about his and Minhyun’s encounter with the beasts.

“Was it Wargs?” Sewoon asks, his face still looks calm, but there is nervousness in his voice.

Lay solemnly nods “We can speak while walking. It’s almost dark. We better hurry and get out from this forest” Lay says. “Jaehwan-ssi, I’ll help you walk. It’s not really far, but the faster we arrive at the house, the better it would be.”

 

Lay had healed Jaehwan’s wounds. “I don’t wish to heal you again. Take a good care of yourself.” Lay scolds him but pats his head with a bit amount of force.

_Lay had seen the wounds on Seongwoo’s face as they were entering the house. A shirtless Seongwoo was dabbing his face with a green concoction that he was taken from Lay’s cabinet. He was hissing as the liquid touching his wounds and his back is marred by red scratches._

_As the three of them entering the room, the fire on the furnace became bigger and dancing dangerously. The room was in an instant becoming hot as Seongwoo stared the fox-eyed man. As Lay clicked his tongue, gave Seongwoo a warning, the fire became normal again._

_Lay stared at wounds on Seongwoo’s face and then his gaze fell to Minhyun’s knuckles that are also red and full of blisters. They didn’t have to tell Lay because he could connect the dots himself. He wasn’t saying anything, only dropped his bags on his work table with a great amount of force that made Seongwoo, Jaehwan and Minhyun jumped._

“And I would not heal you, Seongwoo-ssi, Minhyun-ssi. Because no use in trying to heal an idiocy.” Lay sighed. “I know sooner or later you two will fight.” Lay gazes sternly to Seongwoo and Minhyun from the chair near the furnace, where he and Jaehwan sitting while Lay heals Jaehwan’s wounds.

”But when you all live in my house, you have to follow the rule that I had decided. Just count yourself lucky that the wounds you have aren’t threatened your life and I feel kind enough to not kill you two myself.” His eyes are shining dangerously. Minhyun feels a shiver creeping into his neck, while he knows himself what that man capable of.

“I’m very tired myself. While I’m resting, I better not hear any of you fight again.” Lay exits the room while pointedly stares at them.

Without words, Seongwoo follows Lay to exit the room. Not long after, Minhyun hears the stomps of heavy boots climbing up the stairs.

The room is becoming cold as it was only contained the two of them. Usually, Jaehwan always breaks the ice with his seemingly unending stories to Minhyun, or just asking things that he doesn’t know. But he says nothing, the only sounds coming from the firewood that Jaehwan throws into the furnace. The fire instantly enlarged, and warmth spread into the room. Minhyun didn’t realize that he was shivering from cold.

Minhyun approaches Jaehwan who is sitting quietly by the furnace. He doesn’t know what he should say to the boy, but he is feeling that he should have said something.

“Why didn’t you tell the truth to them?” Minhyun can feel the coldness in his voice.

Jaehwan is still not looking at him. But his jaws is hard, his hand is clenching and unclenching.

“I’ve abandoned you. Yes, I hear your voice calling for help to me. But I ignore you. I left. If Sewoon-ssi didn’t come, you’ll be dead right?” Minhyun waits for Jaehwan to react. Jaehwan should be angry at him. Hit him, tears him, or uses his power to injure him.

Jaehwan finally looks at him; confusion is dancing in his eyes. “But I’m not. I’m not dead. If I tell them the truth, yes, they will kill you for sure. Is that what you want, Minhyun-hyung? To die?” Minhyun sees a sadness in his eyes. “Was it really wrong that I rescued you?”

The feelings come at him again, the pain, the hopelessness. He is only staring at Jaehwan with blank eyes.

“Was living so hard for you, hyung?” Jaehwan is now standing in front of him. “I wanted you to be happy, to be free from your burden.”

_Minhyun, all I need is for you to not get sick, be healthy and always by my side._

“Yes,” Minhyun whispers. He feels that his body is going numb.

Jaehwan closed his eyes and tears falling from its corners. “So be it”

As Jaehwan opened his eyes again, the track of tears had disappeared.  His clear black eyes that are usually twinkling with warm light gone, replaced by a deep black hole that sucking all the light and locked Minhyun’s gaze. He can’t move. The thin white light that Minhyun usually saw surrounding him disappears and changed into a black mist.

“If that is what you truly want, I can help you, hyung” Jaehwan's voice is changed, deeper and lower, as he comes nearer and nearer to him. His hand is stretched, trying to reach for him.

“I can’t promise you that it would be no pain, but at least it would be very quick.” Minhyun feels that the room becoming dark and cold, as Jaehwan’s shadow grows taller and engulfing him. He can’t breathe, he can’t move, his eyes are sucked into the black well of Jaehwan’s eye, as he comes closer, his long fingers almost touches his chest.

 

“Agghhh…!” Jaehwan hiss and fall to the ground, his right hand grasping his left shoulder. Between his fingers, blood is trickling.

Minhyun didn’t realize it, but he had pulled his sword and pierced through Jaehwan’s shoulder.

The room is warm again, the dark shadow surrounding Jaehwan had gone, and even though Jaehwan looks like he is in pain because of the wound that is caused by Minhyun, he smiles. The warm light has comes back to his eyes.

“You want to live, that is your true wish, right, hyung? I’m relieved.” His sad smile is still etched on his face as he gets up slowly, reaching for one of the bandages in Lay’s cabinet.

“All the sweet words you had said, I don’t believe you. Tell me what you truly want.” Minhyun gritted his teeth. His face is hard. _I won’t believe this kid, not him, not a Macht, no one._ “What is the gain from me that you want?”

Jaehwan sighed and gazes at Minhyun. He knows that it would be difficult, and Minhyun will not trust him so easily.

“Gain? Was it the only language that you know?”

“If it’s what you could only understand,” Jaehwan gazes at him sadly, “My gain is your life. Your life is mine. You could not die until I told you to, and you can’t leave from my side until I tell you to leave. And you cannot, ever again, by any means, betray me and left me like you did today. Starting from now, you can only heed my words.”

As Jaehwan finished his words, he left the room. Leaving Minhyun who is standing still and gripping his twin sword strongly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I realize that Minhyun's character here is frustrating. ._. I'm sorry.  
> \- The title is so weird, but it is taken from the most memorable quote of Gandalf (The Lord of The Rings) that he said when he fell from the bridge in Moria. Warg is also taken from The Lord of The Rings  
> \- The image that I have about Jaehwan in this story: choker-Jaehwan at MBC Gayo. He looks so cute and innocent there. :3. I want to bring him everywhere in my pocket.  
> \- Minhyun's character in my head is like Linus in the 'Under The Rose' manga by Funato Akari. A really great psychological manga. One of the scenes is also taken from this.  
> \- Another scene is taken from Harry Potter.  
> \- In case any of you had been wondering, the culture, the clothes that people wear in the four bender country’s age is just like in Avatar, The Legend of Aang (hence the name of the country using Japanese and the royal system that is used). In Argentum’s era, the leader of the country is the military leader, and they are using technology in the era of World War I.  
> \- I don't satisfied with the final result of this chapter. But I still hope that it's a good read.  
> \- If there is something you want to ask, or criticize, or just want to say hi or saying whatever, please write in the comment box! I really appreciate every comment and kudos. Thanks a lot. :D


	8. When Fire Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to Seongwoo's past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy and then my computer decides to die on me. So it took me so long to finally post this chapter. I hope you can enjoy this!

After bandaging his wounds and changing his clothes, Jaehwan entering his room. Seongwoo’s back is facing him, and he snores so loudly and obnoxiously.  Jaehwan climbs up to his bed and sitting, then leaning against the wall. He just sits for a long time, without moving or saying any word, observing at Seongwoo’s back that moves rhythmically.

Seongwoo is no longer snoring.

“Seongwoo-hyung, you are still awake, aren’t you?”

Seongwoo’s breath is hitched and he coughs, but still doesn’t say anything. Jaehwan patiently waits for his response. Like he expected, not long after that, Seongwoo turns his body. His eyes that is still full of bruises piercing Jaehwan.

“Why are you here and not with your new friends that Fehlen soldier?”

 Jaehwan chooses not to answer Seongwoo. He is just staring with the same patient eyes as if urging Seongwoo to shed his entire wrath.

Seongwoo pauses, he sounded ridiculous like a child; his face and the tip of his ears redden. Though, the same look of defiance still clearly written in his eyes.

“I’ve injured quite badly because of the Fehlen, and you chose to run to him?” Seongwoo grabbed his bed sheet until his knuckles turning white. They never had any quarrel, only occasionally banters towards each other, so Seongwoo doesn’t want to get mad to Jaehwan, he really doesn’t want to. But Jaehwan’s passive face is not helping. This time, all Seongwoo wants to do is to throw punches at the boy.

“You had refrained yourself when he insulted you.” Jaehwan finally speaks “I know you could have used your power earlier and injured him more than he injured you, but you hadn’t. For that, I’m very thankful to you. But Seongwoo...”

“Stop acting like you are older than me. Stop advising me!” Seongwoo impatiently cuts Jaehwan, “Why do you speak as if you are his guardian? You only met him for days, why do you believe him?”

“And why do you hate Minhyun-hyung so much? You also know nothing about him.”

Seongwoo scoffed, he doesn’t believe what he hears, “He’s an Argentum’s soldier. A SOLDIER! I CAN’T BELIVE YOU NEED ANOTHER REASON!” Seongwoo

“You are just a little kid who had lost your entire memory! What do you even know? In this world, you’ll gain nothing by trusting other people so easily.” Seongwoo hotly speaks.

“But you trusted me, don’t you, Hyung? I…” Jaehwan gulped, his eyes are downcasted. “We… We haven’t known each other for a long time. There are still so much that I don’t know about you. I wish I can know you better” Jaehwan’s clear eyes look at him again with a soft gaze. “Is that the only reason?”

 Seongwoo’s heart is very heavy, he can’t stand Jaehwan’s gaze, he can’t help it anymore, “He is a snake that will betray you! He speaks with sweet word and smiles with that sweet smile in front of you! But you know the truth, he said it. He hated you, he hated us! All Fehlens are hypocrites, he could say that he loves you, but without batting a single eye, HE WILL DAMN SELL YOU FOR A CHEAP PRICE!” Seongwoo screams and room’s temperature is becoming so hot that Jaehwan must use his power to bring down the temperature.

Seongwoo is now standing and breathing hard, then he sits again, his hands cover his face. Jaehwan could hear low sobs from Seongwoo, which startles him. It is unexpected. Seongwoo always appears upbeat and strong. No one can seem to disturb him. No one can seem to defeat his spirit. But here he is, sad and broken. His hunched shoulder looks so small as his head dropped and tears falling, one by one, to the floor. 

“We were… we were so happy.” Seongwoo said between his sobbing as he starts his story.

_A few years back, in a Village in the middle of a desert_ _in Süden Province, not far from Village of the Wall, Süden Region_ _._

_If Seongwoo had to answer truthfully about his happiest memory, it will be always that one. Him, his father, his mother, and his little brother sitting together, huddled in front of a_ _furnace_ _in their small mud house._ _His father was telling a funny story that he didn’t remember now, his hands were flailing here and there to emphasise his story. Seongwoo can hear his mother laughing sounds, like a bell clinging, as he has his head on his father’s lap. Then he snuggled closer, seeking for more warmth. His baby brother_ _was in his mother lap, babbling with his barely understandable words, occasionally laughing_ _, as if he understands what his father talking about._ _Seongwoo was feeling very sleepy and comfortable. It was warm, he_ _was content, and he didn’t know the feeling back then, but he realized_ _long after that, it was happiness._

_After that day, without him knowing, everything was going down. A few days later, there was a sandstorm coming into his village._ _Fortunate_ _ly there were no casualties from their Fehlen Village. But most of the crops were died and dry_ _._ _Only a few of_ _those_ _were left_ _, but most of it couldn’t be eaten anymore. The little amount of cattle they had also died because of the sandstorm. It was so devastating, because the villagers had expected a great harvest that year_ _. In that year, there w_ _ere more rain fell and_ _the oasis_ _was so full with_ _the clear, sweet water. The Villagers already prepared_ _a big carnival to welcome the harvest, for all went to the drain._

_Little Seongwoo_ _didn’t understand all. But he could see the sadness in the faces of the villagers, the sadness in the face of his parents. He was carrying his baby brother_ _in his arms as he heard his parents arguing outside their tent-house._

_“I don’t like the idea of you joining the military.” Seongwoo’s mother frustrated voice can be heard. Seongwoo could imagine his mother crossed her arms in front of his chest, frowning_ _, like whenever she gets angry._

_“Then what other choices we have, Sunhee-ah?” It was rare for his father using that endearment to call his mother. “They need more soldier for the time being to fight the Rogue._ _And you’ve heard what the people said, don’t you? The sandstorm was caused by them_ _! Don’t you find it weird? Everything w_ _ent great this year_ _,_ _and suddenly_ _a disaster fall upon us!_

_Military will give us money and foods as soon as I join them._ _Don’t you see? We don’t have any choice_ _._ _We don’t have anything to eat._ _” His father pleads “They said that if I do well_ _, we can even move from this pit of hell to the city. We could live better there, having better house, and the children can eat more food. Have you seen Seongwoo?_ _He is just bones and skin. And_ _how about Seonho?_ _That kid needs food to grow. I wish I could giv_ _e you better live like I promised to your father_ _, Sunhee-ah.” Seongwoo had never heard his father sounded so exasperated like that day._

_“I_ _don’t like this.” His mother’s voice was shaking like she was trying so hard to not cry. “We could always plant the crops again, start again._ _But you will leave me and the children_ _. And for how long? And what if you died in the battle?”_ _Her voice turned into a quite sob._

_“That would be even better.” Seongwoo could imagine his father smiling sadly. “Argentum’s Military will give you compensation and support all of you until Seongwoo reaches adult age. They had promised me._ _And I promise_ _you, I’ll return.” His mother’s quite sob turned into a full-blown tear as his father hugged her._

_Early in the morning on the next day, Seongwoo’s father set off from the house with a proud smile on his face, a long_ _worn out cloak and an old sword in his hips. Seongwoo could see his father’s friend waiting near the house. Many young men from their village had the same thinking as his father. Beside him, his mother was standing steadfast with Seonho in her arms. There was no trace of tears in his mother’s eyes. She was beautiful, the most beautiful that he ever seen, smiles adorned his face_ _. But Seongwoo could feel his mother’s tight grip in his shoulder._

_“Remember this day, Seongwoo-ah._ _This is the day where your father bravely sets forth to the battle for the family. You must grow up healthily and be like your father, right?” Seongwoo_ _nodded so hard and smiled at his mother, reassuring her that he will._

_Yes, Seongwoo will always remember that day. For that day was the last time he had seen his brave and loving father._

_The Military fulfilled their promise. On the next day, they were given money and foods. But even with the help of the military, the life in the desert still as hard as ever. There was only so little rain_ _falling after that_ _._ _Once again_ _, they faced with more hunger and dry spell. In the day, the sun was scorching hot, burn_ _ed their body_ _with its unforgiving heat, and in the night,_ _the cold_ _pierced to their bones._

_It turns out that the battle against the Rogue was longer than expected. Seongwoo’s father supposed to went back_ _home. But in every letter that comes, he always said for them to wait a little bit_ _longer. His mother never showed her tears to Seongwoo, but he could hear her quiet sobs in the middle of the night, as he hugged Seonho’s shivering body closer to him._

_Another year passed, the battle against Rogue had ended, and people said that Argentum had won. But Seongwoo’s father still had not come back. The fathers of his friends and the sons of his neighbors have. Either in a casket covered by white garment or in jars of ceramic, for the bodies had been too broken_ _to be recognized that the military decided to burn them all together and divided the ashes_ _into it and sent them to their families._

_In his letter, Seongwoo’s dad said that_ _the war had ended, but he has to guard the borders. So for another year, and other years after that, he still hadn’t come_ _back._ _His letter came less and less often, but always with the same promises; he will be appointed into a higher rank as he’ll soon come back home. He will bring a lot of money, and they will soon move to the city. His mother always said to him to wait for his father and believe_ _in him_ _. “Don’t hold a grudge to your father, Seongwoo-ah.” Said his mother, as he helped his mother plumbed the hard ground. “He is doing his best for us.” Seongwoo will then answer his mother with big smile “Never_ _, Mother.” Seongwoo said. And his mother would pat his head lovingly, and wrapped him in a tight hug until Seongwoo can’t breathe._

_That year, he was already in his eleventh, skinny but taller than the kids in his age, and Seonho was in his fifth year. It’s already been a few years since the last time they got Military ransom. The winter that year_ _was so harsh; it was even snowed for a few days._ _Some of the villagers have been moved out from that place, seeking a better place to live. But Seongwoo, his mother and his brother stayed. Because, how can his father find them if he moves out? It is already a few months since the last time they get the answers from his mother’s letter._

_The_ _ir mud house was also in a really bad condition_ _and they could do nothing to fix it._ _It was the coldest night of the winter when the cold air_ _was seeping through the hole_ _. His mother went to the neighbor village to ask for food and firewood. That night she didn’t come home, trapped in the bad weather. Seongwoo was alone with his brother_ _that had been trembling so badly. The blanket he wrapped in his brother’s body_ _gave him no warmth. He was so close to sleeping although Seongwoo calls for him over and over. But when he furiously rubbed his hands to each other, miracle happens. His hands turned red, and as he rubbed his hands more, it shined, and not long after, flames flickering and became bigger when Seongwoo willings for it. Slowly, his brother opened his eyes and scooted closer to him. His body had stop shaking, h_ _e breathes_ _evenly, and his body is relaxing. The room became warm._

_The next day, his mother came home and cries so hard as she hugged both Seongwoo and his mother. She said sorry over and over again and promised them that she will not ever leave them again.But Seongwoo never tells his mother about the strange happening. All he can think about was how relieved he was that his mother came._

_Then one day,_ _when the sky was so_ _clear,_ _and the stars_ _shining so brightly, his mother took Seongwoo and his brother to the top of the hill after a long hard work to enjoy the view. It was a really beautiful night, Seongwoo feels so elated and the energy inside of him bubbling uncontrollably. So he released the energy and conjures the fire from his hand. He made it dancing and bursting like fireworks. His brother was screaming and laughing happily. Seongwoo had shown the tricks repeatedly to entertains him._

_But he was so shocked when his mother become so pale. He didn’t understand why she suddenly grabbed his arms and told him to stop. She hugged him very hard, and with a trembling voice, she said that he is very precious to her, that she will always be there for him._

_“What is it, mother? Had I done something wrong?”_

_“No, my love. You are perfect. You are my kind and beautiful boy. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise. You got me?” And after that, with tears streaming on her face, she made Seongwoo promised to never use or show his power again, ever._

_“Not even to Father? I want to tell Father that I’ve protected Seonho.” Seongwoo said, disappointed. He wanted to be recognized as a grown up and makes him proud._

_“NO!” Her mother screamed. “Never. Never showed that to your Father! You must promise me. Promised me.” Seongwoo knows he had no choice when her mother speaks with a hurt voice like in the night when she said goodbye to his father._

_For the first time in few years, Sunhee was wishing that his husband will not quickly come home._

_But of course, fate works in a very unpredictable manner. Sunhee’s wish from all the night but that night got fulfilled. The next day, without even any notice or letters, Seongwoo’s father comes back home._

_From far, they could see a shining black carriage with a drawing of a silver tree on both sides, a Military carriage, drifting closer to their village. It was a strange occasion. Because after all these years, she had spent her time waiting, she thought that the village had been erased from the map by the Argentum’s Government. She can felt his heart filled with dread._

_It can’t be. Right? Of all the day, why must it have to be today?_

_Without she could prevent, Seongwoo and Seonho were already running outside, screaming to each other as they approach the black carriage. When the carriage finally stopped, a man with a black cloak and dark mane came out. The man was so similar with his husband, but at the same time, he was miles different from the husband that she knows. Had the time makes her forget? But didn’t he always had a smile adorned his face? Didn’t his eyes always light up whenever he seen her? But this man, was not. Not only that his face full of scars, the man expression was also very dark, like all the pressure in the world had fall upon him._

_Seongwoo stopped running on his track and quickly grabbed Seonho to pull him into his hug. He can’t help his body from shaking. He was his father, right? The man in front of him didn’t even took a glance at him and walked straight with crippled steps with the help of a cane to their house._

_Her mother then hugged the man with a trembling body. But the man didn’t hug her back. His hands were hanging on the side of his body, with his eyes staring straight, to the direction that unknown; deep, dark and blank like a deep well. And from that time on, Seongwoo couldn’t call the man as his father again._

_If the life in the desert was hard before, it was a downright hell after the man came. He was never satisfied with everything, always complaining. He didn’t work, didn’t help in the field, and spend his days drinking and sulling at his life. On his best days, he will go near the Village of The Wall, the nearest place where the Argentum’s Soldier could be found, protesting, and claiming about the promises of glory that Military had been given to him. Sometimes, they just laughed or sneered at him. “Go away you lunatic!” They said, “Come again if you have something useful to us!”_

_But some other time, his father came home with wounds and more pain in his body. On the cold nights, he was screaming so loud because of the pain. He was claiming that his body was burned all over, trashing around, and destroying the things in the house. At the time like that, his mother will told Seongwoo to go out and took his brother with him. Seongwoo brought him to a cave near the hill, conjures his fire to warm the both of them, and spends the night there. He lulled himself to sleep while imagining him, his mother and his brother huddled and stays forever in the cave._

_Of course, Seongwoo’s mother always tells him to forgive his father. She tells him that his father changed because of the chronic pain from the wounds he got at war. And how can they even heal it, when their rustic village don’t even have enough food to eat?_

_On one of the night on Seongwoo’s fifteenth years, he decided to stay when the man had one of his relapse. Seongwoo saw with his own eyes how he beat his mother as she writhed in pain. Without thinking, Seongwoo conjures his energy and let out flames to protect his mother. Like a wild beast, the man sheathed his sword and barged into him. He no longer sees Seongwoo as his own son, only a power bender, a Macht, an enemy. Seongwoo almost burned the man if it was not because of his mother who stand between them. At the very least, the man had some decency to stop his attack._

_The next morning, the man was very calm He said that he had talked with his mother and he understand Seongwoo. They had even a normal conversation again, as he praises Seongwoo and took an interest in his power. Seongwoo had always wanted them to become a normal family again, so he decided to trust the man in front of him, who pats his head and smiles at him like how his old father would do._

_But not even a week after that, his neighbor running to their house. A group of Argentum’s Soldier was marching towards their village. At that time, the man was nowhere to be seen. His mother hurriedly told Seongwoo to run to hide in the cave._

_Why. Seongwoo still wanted to kill himself for his foolishness. Why didn’t he asked, pulled his mother and his brother to go hide with him? He waited in the cave for so long. Did days pass? Or was it weeks? He didn’t know anymore when his mother finally showed up in the cave. Battered body, with a more than battered heart when she told him what happened._

_In a confused condition, his mother told him that the foolish man thought that by denouncing his own son to the Military, they would give him a prize. The Soldier didn’t believe him at first, but somehow he managed to convince them. One of the soldiers then spied on him and saw him let out his fire when he thought that no one was seeing. But alas, when they couldn’t find Seongwoo on that house, they became so angry that they destroyed the house and took his brother instead. But the man was livid, he refused to give up his youngest son and fought the soldier instead. In that chaos, his brother was killed and his mother run, run, away from them until she finally remembered about the cave._

_After that, the both of them lived by moving around from a place to place. Never settle on one place, as they know that the Military will never stop looking for him. They are never_

_A few years after wandering with just the two of them, Seongwoo and his mother joined a circus troupe that was traveling across the country. Seongwoo becomes a fire performer, the best job for him to hide his true identity. Because his mother had made him promised to never use his power anymore, the energy bubbling uncontrollably inside of him as the result. He can occasionally conjure the fire as he performed, but it was never satisfying. He couldn't make it too obvious, or the people will start to get suspicious._

_But whatever measure he had taken to make sure no one suspicious of them went down to the drain when he saw bruises on his mother's arm. Seongwoo was finally found out that the leader of the troupe had been taking a favor from his mother._

_Burning with anger, he went to the circus troupe's leader and confirmed the heinous act. For over the years of controlling his power, Seongwoo burst. All the pressure that had been built in him exploded. The circus' tents, the animals, and the leader of the troupe got burned. It was chaotic, the other performers and the spectators running around, without care of each other, stamping, and running outside to get away from the fire._

_Seongwoo was forgetting, that he was no longer in an isolated village in the middle of the desert. Osten had always been full of people. And the fire was so big, that it attracted Argentum’s Military instantly._

_Seongwoo was fighting with all his might, but he was only alone, and he never learned how to use his power effectively. Just in a matter of minutes, the power drained all of his energy. And he knows it was over when they caught his mother and brace him with a weird looking shackle._

_That was the last time he had seen his mother, screaming for his name, with both of her arm being held by two tall soldiers. After he worn the shackle, the world surrounding him becomes dark. He didn’t know, how long had he been in the darkness, until the sudden pain, washing over his body, and the remembrance of his mother face the last time he had seen him, swimming in his head. He willing himself to wake up, although there was a great force pulling him into unconsciousness. As he opened his eyes, he was inside a cylinder filled with a blue liquid. Fuming with anger, he let out his energy explodes, as he crushed destroyed and burned everything in front of him. In his hazy mind, he could hear another explosion and people screaming. But he paid no attention to others, and run with all of his might._

_He couldn’t even run that far, and he finally lost all of his strength when he collapsed into a wet grass, resigned himself to the fate that had been toying him around. He thought it was the angel of the death that finally came to him when he heard soft steps on the ground. But it was a face of a silver-haired man with a mole under his right eyes smiled at him and said, “I’m Kang Daniel, come with me Seongwoo-ssi.”_

It had been so long that Seongwoo felt so pathetic like he feels now because he always kept everything close, pretending to be strong and undisturbed. But now he told his secrets, that he had never before told to anyone, not even Jisung and Daniel. The boy had been so pure, would he loathe him for all he had done? He wipes the tears that falling, willing himself to stop. 

Jaehwan patiently waits for his tears to be subsided as he draped a blanket around Seongwoo. He can’t hug him to provide Seongwoo some sort of relief, so he held the blanket closer, tighter around Seongwoo.

"It's not your fault. I will always take your side." Jaehwan's voice calms him as he said the words over and over again.  

 “I've been always so happy when I'm with you and with how much you protected me. But  I’m not your brother.  You don’t have to worry about me. I'm strong. I can defend myself”

Jaehwan continues, “And Minhyun-hyung is not your father and your father is not Minhyun-hyung. They are a different people and they will choose different choices.”

Seongwoo stubbornly shakes his head. "They are the same scum of the earth. so now tell me, Jaehwan, what makes you think that they aren't. What is this, that you had been hiding? Why is he so important to you? Tell me what Daniel told you!” Seongwoo insists.

But Jaehwan only shakes his head, and keep silent. “If you won’t tell me, fine! You talked about trust but you never even trusted me!” Seongwoo then flipped his body and angrily willing himself to sleep.

Jaehwan can’t refute Seongwoo, and he can't coax Seongwoo to talk to him again. So he goes back to his bed, waiting for a sleep that never comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write this story nicely like I wanted to be. But I hope it's not lame.  
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!  
> If you want to criticize me, I'll gladly accept it!


	9. For what do I live?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double updates! I had posted Chapter 8 earlier. Though if you directly jumped to this chap you'll still understand it anyway.  
> This chapter will be focused on Jaehwan. There will be not much of MinHwan here.  
> And although Minhyun had sunk the ship. I will still sail this ship in my heart. TTTT  
> Warning: Character death, more depressive thoughts.   
> Yes, this is the result of my depressive minds.

Like a machine, no matter how tired or how sad he felt, Minhyun always gets up from his bed at five in the morning. And the new day will still come, no matter how much he hoped for the time to be frozen. It will not stop even if someone had been gone.

But Minhyun felt something different this morning. He had dreamed something, that he had completely forgotten. Still, the feeling of the dream is still there. Weight his heart, asking him to remember.

His left cheek was wet with tears when he touched it. _Had I been crying?_ It’s astonished him for he can count with his one hand, the amount of time he cried.

Minhyun quickly decides that it's not the time for him to mulling on his feeling. He never the one to think too much about what he is feeling and buried it deep.

He gets off from his bed, properly dress and walks outside his room. Today is his duty to make breakfast, and cooking with firewoods can take so much time.

As he is preparing for the breakfast, one by one, the other members of the house getting out from their respective room. Lay approaches with a staggered step, yawning loudly and gives him a tired ‘good morning’ like usual. Looking completely harmless and weak, as if one soft touch can make him fall. But Minhyun still remembers how ferocious the healer if he wanted to be when they were being attacked by the Wargs one week ago. And the fact that Minhyun’s neck still firmly attached to his body is a prove that Jaehwan hadn’t tell anything about his betrayal.

The said boy comes to the room not long after that. His face is pale and tired. The circle under his eyes are very prominent as if he hadn’t slept for a week. The usual white light that Minhyun sees surrounding him is dim, almost makes him looks transparent.

As usual, he gives Minhyun a soft smile and his eyes twinkling with light. But he quickly averts his gaze from Minhyun and doesn’t say anything after that. He doesn’t call Minhyun’s name with a cheery wave like he used to do. Although he’d been staying in the house and doing house chores, he never follows Minhyun everywhere again, he barely even talks to him.

Of course, Minhyun doesn’t care, his life is so much calmer now. He doesn’t have anyone who disturbs his work with incessant questions, or making his ears bleed with a nonstop rambling, or occasionally made something burning, or the floors flooding because of his non-attentiveness and his wrong usage of power.

 _Right, keep telling that to yourself._ A voice inside his head that is so similar to Jonghyun’s sneered.

Minhyun put the soup pot with a little bit too much force. Some of its contents spilled to the table. “Watch out...”, Lay warns him, although his voice wouldn’t even make a rabbit runs. With a quick apology, Minhyun wipes the table and then sit on the farthest chair from Jaehwan, frowning to his soup hard, as if there is something wrong with it.

Jaehwan sitting near the furnace shivers and pulls his jacket tighter around his body. He reached for a bowl and filled it with the soup Minhyun had been cooked and swallows it slowly. Without him realizing, the furrowing in Minhyun's forehead ceases, finally the boy eat something that he cooks.

 _His fringe is already long_ , Minhyun thinks. It covers his black clear eyes from Minhyun’s sight.

Minhyun chews his food slowly. He fixes his gaze on the table and observes the pattern on the table that looks like vines intertwining to each other.  Minhyun follows the vines, that ends up beneath Jaehwan’s fingers, which are absentmindedly knocking the table with silent sounds, over and over again. That dainty, long, white finger dancing in front of him.

Minhyun almost jumped on his chair when the loud sound from the fire-bender boots is heard. If the said man only shows his angry face to Minhyun before, that angry expression seems permanently etched on his face since a week ago. Jaehwan and Seongwoo also never seen talk again, moreover laugh or playing around like they used to do. Seongwoo is only talking with the healer, and it was only short curt answers.

Jaehwan is looking at Seongwoo with an expectant face, but Seongwoo refused to even take a glance to the water-benders. Just when Jaehwan is about to calls his name, the fire-bender already finishes his food. With a speed light, he quickly wears a thick hunting coat, and his usual hunting equipment and exits the house with a loud banging sound of the door.     

“Jaehwan...” Lay calls Jaehwan who is still staring at the closed door. “Jaehwan, you should come with me today.”

Jaehwan slowly moves his gaze from the door and furrows his forehead when looking at Lay. “No. I’m okay.” Jaehwan answers Lay curtly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You must come with me.” Now there is a slight warning in his voice. Lay glimpses at Minhyun before he continues, “I need your help. I can’t collect the plants by myself.” Now Lay smiles sweetly to him.  

 Minhyun sees Jaehwan grips his spoon so hard, until his hands becoming white. “Okay.” He gives up and looks downcast. Minhyun concentrates on his food. He doesn’t care about what they are talking about. He has never been a part of them anyway.

Not long after, there’s knock on the door. Lay opened it, and the brown-haired hunter, Jung Sewoon, standing in front of the door with his droopy eyes and wet hunting clothes, apparently it is raining outside.

The droopy eyes hunter had been visiting them almost every day, for a bunch of reasons. Yesterday, he said that he needs more medical concoction for emergency measures, the day before, he was saying that he had diarrhea, two days before that, he said that he caught a cold. Minhyun lifts his eyebrows, waiting for Sewoon to reasoned his visit today.

“Jung Sewoon-ssi, you’re not injured, right? Died your diarrhea healed?” Jaehwan greets Sewoon and looking at him worriedly.

 “Ah, hello, Jaehwan-ssi...” Sewoon answers him, the red color is spreading on the tip of his ears. “I’m okay, perfectly fine! like new!”

Minhyun wonders if he had made himself sick to visit Lay's house that often.

Sewoon smiles and rubs the back of his head. "I want to take the medicine for Grandma Xing. Her knees are hurting this morning, so she can't take it herself. How about your injury, Jaehwan-ssi? Is your ankle healed yet?”

“I’m all healed! I will go with Lay in the forest today!” Jaehwan cheerfully smiles to Sewoon, the corners of his eyes crinkles. The red color in Sewoon’s face spreads even more. "R-right... I'm happy to hear that." Sewoon stutters.

Ridiculous, Minhyun sneers in his head. That poor man will run away from the boy if he sees the boy uses his water bending. He gets up from his chair and cleans the cutlery.

He can hear Sewoon worried voice, “You’re going to the forest? Not long ago I found trees and plants on the east side forest are dying out and dry. Seems that too many strange creatures are dwelling in the forest now. Be careful when you go there, Jaehwan-ssi. I’m also going to check that place once again.”

Minhyun sighs as he takes a glance at Jaehwan that still listening to Sewoon with rampant attention. His face is shining and sometimes he can see the corner of Jaehwan's eyes shrivels because he is laughing loudly. With loud steps he goes out from the room to finish his next boring to death task, chopping the fire woods, and unconsciously slamming the door hard.

\------------------------------------------------

 

Jaehwan is heaving all of his stomach content on the ground. Feeling exhausted and tired, but the vomiting doesn’t want to stop.

“You know you can’t eat. Why did you do it anyway?” Lay's amused voice is heard from somewhere near him. He shook his head because of the foolishness of the boy in front of him. “Did you felt guilty to the Fehlen soldier because you never eat his cooking?” Lay chuckles again. “If you feel guilty about him, why didn’t you at least talk to him? The poor man looked so lost.”

Jaehwan doesn’t answer him, another wave of vomit comes again and he retches more.

“Or is that your way to make yourself feeling more like... a living?” Lay snickers cynically. Nevertheless, he approaches Jaehwan who is now slumping tiredly on the ground and covers his face between his hands. He puts one of his hands between Jaehwan’s shoulder blade and transfers some of his energy to Jaehwan. There’s not much change seen, he still looks very pale and transparent, but the vomit stopped.

“We can’t go to the east side forest again. I never think that a mere human will go that far.  I thought that every villager afraid of the wild beast there. It’s not the case for that hunter then. Come on Jaehwan, up!” Lay fixes his clothes and checks his swords.

“Don’t look at me like that. Until when will you be this obtuse?” Jaehwan was staring at Lay with fiery eyes. But he allowed Lay to help him gets up.

Still, with slow reluctant steps, Jaehwan follows Lay who is walking in front of him while humming happily. As always, the forest looks so beautiful in Jaehwan’s eyes. The different colors of aura that gleaming from the trees and the small animals which is hiding between the tree barks makes his heart heavier. He doesn’t want to do this, but he doesn’t have any choice.

After walking for hours Lay stop walking, “We walk far enough. I don’t think anyone will reach this part and you already look like death.” Lay grins. “It’s time for you to really eat.”

Jaehwan observes surrounding him, huge and tall trees, shining brightly. He walks closer to a tree nearer to him, feeling it’s aura pulsing through as he puts his bare hands on the surface, and let his instinct take controls. Slowly, he feels the pulsating energy from the tree spreads into him. He can see it lose it's life slowly, the green leaves yellowing and then even the yellow color is gone and it's becoming grey. The grey colors spreading into the tree’s branches and then to its stalk.

It is dead and dry when Jaehwan lifts his hands from the tree. A little bit of color appears on his cheek. makes him looks less like a corpse. Lay sees Jaehwan opens his eyes, red shining irises staring right at him, but it slowly darkens and becomes black again.  Lay can’t help but shudders, he had seen it frequently, but he still can’t get used to it.

Jaehwan repeats the process to another tree, and another one, until the trees in their sight face the same consequences as the first time. “Stop,” Lay says, observes surrounding him. “If there are too many trees died at the same time, it will arouse suspicion.”

It’s still not enough. Jaehwan can feel his exhaustion had not yet diminished, his body is so stiff, he still felt the hunger that needed to be fulfilled.

“We should walk even deeper. There will be more beast to feed you.” Lay unleash his sword and walks further.

After walking for about two hundred meters a huge brown furred bear is standing in front of them. The majestic beast was so huge, it will reach two meters tall when standing on his feet.

Lay whistles, "A large feast!It will make you content for a few days." He sheathes his sword out, his stance is ready whenever the Bear decides to attack him.

Jaehwan walks in front of him, approaches the bear with a slow step. The bears growling at him, as if warns him to stay in his place. But Jaehwan walks further, undisturbed, and the bear finally charging forward, swing his large claws to Jaehwan.

Blood is trickling from Jaehwan's chest, but he managed to catch one of the bear's front limb. The bear growls loudly again, but Jaehwan staying still as he grips even harder, and finally feels that pulse of aura is flowing from that beast into him. And just like the trees, it slowly dying, dried, and laying lifelessly in front of Jaehwan.

\--------------------------------------------------------

  

When Jaehwan and Lay approach the Village, they can see a loud ruckus. The Villagers are huddled up, surrounding something, or someone that they can't see. One of the Villagers seen them and called, "It's healer Lay! healer Lay!"

"What happened?" Lay asks.

"There was an attack! He got attacked by wolves!" says one of them. "He had been so lucky he could get away from the wolves and get back." says the other.

The Villagers are parting instantly, allowing Lay and Jaehwan to step into the center of the crowds. In front of them, they see the brown-haired hunter, Sewoon laying on the ground. Blood is oozing profusely from his wounds. He was surrounded by the Villagers who are confused, not knowing what to do about the young men that are lying helplessly.

Sewoon’s breath is rough. It was so hard for him to take the air. As he coughing, blood is spilled from his mouth.

Lay presses the wound with large white clothes, trying to stop the blood from flowing. But he knows it is of no use. Not long after, the white clothes turn out into red crimson color, and he can feel the life slipping away from the young man as he grows paler in every second.

Jaehwan gripped Lay’s arm so hard, pleading silently to the healer. They could hear some of the villagers around them sobbing quietly, resigned to the fate that will fall upon the young man.

Lay feel that his energy slowly slipping away from him, “Jaehwan!” He says in a low voice, warning him.

Jaehwan pulls his hands from Lay, unaware of what he is doing. But he then tugs Lay’s sleeve, forcing the healer to have an eye contact with him. They stare at each other for a short while, then Lay shakes his head, and fixed his gaze to the still oozing wounds. He will not make it.” Lay sadly said.

At that time Sewoon’s bloodied hands reaching out to Jaehwan. “Look at me... Please look at me...” Sewoon said to Jaehwan with a great effort. “Please hold my hand... Please...” pleads Sewoon. Jaehwan shakes his head, he doesn’t want to make Sewoon losing any more of his life energy.

“Hold his hand, Jaehwan,” Lay said. “He doesn’t have any times left.” He said solemnly.

Jaehwan bites his lips hard, willing his eyes to not shed any tears, then holds Sewoon’s hand. Sewoon’s face relaxes instantly and smiles after they touched, “Thank you... Thank you... You'll... forgive me, right?” he stares straight into Jaehwan’s eyes “...‘m sorry... so... so... sorry... Gwa-...” and let out a long breath, his last breath with eyes still staring blankly at the front of him.

The sobbing from the villagers becomes harder as Lay closes Sewoon’s eyes. “We will take care of everything, Lay-ssi.” A woman in his twentieth holds Sewoon’s hand, eyes are red, but trying to hold back from crying more. “He had been helping us so greatly.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be more of help.” Lay smiles sadly to the young woman. Jaehwan clenches his hands so hard, that he can feel his blood trickling. “You already helped us enough.” replies the young woman. “Thanks a lot.” Jaehwan can’t hold it anymore, with his stares fixated on the ground, he goes out from the crowd.

Jaehwan runs far away until he is feeling like he lost his breath. Not long after he can hear Lay’s soft footstep on the wet grass. “It will be dark soon. Come Jaehwan. We should go back.”

“WHY? TELL ME WHY LAY-SSI??” he is very angry that he can’t help the shake in his voice “Why don’t you help him? You have the ability to save him... He is kind and he had saved me. If not because of him I would have died now!”

“Why had you saved me and not him? I can only bring harm and take the lives of others with this power, I don’t deserve to be saved!” He let out all his frustration. “You could have saved him... So why?” 

“Whether I save someone or not it is MY choice and you can’t make me do or not do it. You have a severe misconception about me.”

Lay smiles widely, but it doesn't reach his eyes, “He was surrounded by people. If only I found him alone, I may have helped him.” says Lay lightly.

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“His wounds were so severe. He knows that he can’t make it. The Villagers also know that he can’t make it. They know. And what would happen if I used my power then, Jaehwan?” Lay’s eyes are cold as he continues. “They will know that I’m a Power-Bender, an enemy, among them. You can call me selfish if you want. But I won’t take a risk.”

“But why? You’ve helped the Villagers, They had trusted you. They believe in you.”

Lay laughs loudly, but it the sounds chills Jaehwan’s bone. “You are so naive... really... really naive... As soon as they know my power, they’ll call the Military. For know, they close their eyes with anything I do, or whoever I brought to the house because I had been helpful to them. But as soon as they have the confirmation that I do a Power-Bender,  they’ll even try to catch me themselves. And I will have no choice to kill them and lost my place, again.” Lay says lightly. “This place is perfect for hiding from Argentum’s Military. We need this place and the peoples here need me. It’s a win for both side, right?”

“You count that more important than someone’s life?” Jaehwan says getting angrier the more Lay speaks.

Lay chuckles again ”But of course, Yes! Don't you know how hard it was for us to find a place to live? We were being driven out from our own land and they continue to chase us everywhere. It is because of our ancestors’ mistake, they said? How ridiculous! Why must we pay for a mistake that is not ours? Tell me, how long do we should repent of our mistakes? Answer me!”

There is no warmness in Lay’s voice when he continues “Someones' live is important, you said? And what about ours? Argentum’s people never care about ours, so why should we care for them too?”

“They will not stop until all the Power-benders swept away from the earth and I will do the same. I will do anything to make Argentum flat to the ground. That man is useless to us. But you, Jaehwan-ssi, we need you. I don’t care if its an angel or demon, I will take their hands if they are useful to us. And you’ve promised to help us.”

Jaehwan feels nauseous. “Stop it..”

“Are we not the same? You’ve killed the soldier that threatened your friend. We only protect what is dear to us and you do the same. Or do you not think that the soldier's life is a life too? How cruel.” Lay sneered. “If you thought that the soldier is evil because he wanted to kill you and your friend. And you think that the hunter is kind for saving you, think about it again. You don’t know about that man’s past, don’t you?”

“Please stop!” Jaehwan screams. “Stop...” He didn’t want to hear words from Lay again. His words are like a poison.

“Do you want to back away from our agreement, Jaehwan-ssi? But don’t forget, you owe me. And that Fehlen soldier? I saved his life. Don’t you want to make sure that Minhyun-ssi will still...” Lay’s hand is on his sword, he strokes it carefully “live well?”

Jaehwan’s body turning cold when Lay mentioned Minhyun’s name.

“You’re still with me, right?” The warm smile on Lay’s face is back as he stretches his hand to help Jaehwan stand.

Jaehwan swallows a big lump in his throat, “Yes...” Jaehwan says, staring at Lay’s eyes hard. “I’m still with you.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

Minhyun had heard about the incident. He was outside, chopping firewoods because the weather had become even colder. One of the villagers passed the house and told him that the droopy eyes hunter was dead after being attacked by a wild wolf. Was it the wolf from before? Minhyun shivers when he remembers the big fangs that almost punctured his body.

How weird it is, he thinks. He just saw the man this morning and now he was gone. Gone. Just like that time, I was so sure that I can meet him again. Minhyun shakes his head. He doesn’t want to dwell more on that feeling. The hunter has no connection with him and he knows nothing about that man.

As he is mulling his mind, he sees Lay approaches the house. His hands and the end of his sleeves are brown because of the dried blood. “You’ve heard it?” Lay asks him.

Minhyun nodded.

“It’s really a pity, he is still so young,” Lay says with a calm voice, no sadness or remorse as if he is commenting about the weather.

“Ah, I’m really tired.” He stretched his body and enters the house.

Not far from him, Jaehwan walks with staggered steps, his head facing down entire time as he walks straight to the back of the house.

Minhyun doesn’t know what makes him do that, but he follows Jaehwan. He hears the sounds of water splashing as Jaehwan washes his hands, over and over and over again.

“Jaehwan...” Minhyun calls him. But he doesn’t know what exactly he wants to say before, so he stopped.

Jaehwan only gazes at him shortly with a blank look, then sits on the ground, his slumped body is shaking as he held his head in his arms. He can see tears are flowing from his eyes. Minhyun approaches him, his hand already halfway stretched to reach Jaehwan head.

What do you think you want to do, Minhyun? Console him? The voice in his head sneers at him. He didn’t even understand why Jaehwan was sad. Yes, the hunter had saved Jaehwan. But he only knows him for one week and not more. And they are different. Jaehwan and he, and the hunter is not even of the same kind.

So Minhyun doesn’t understand when he decided to pull out his cloak and wrapped it around Jaehwan. What he’s done is stupid. He knows that he is a water bender and he will not be affected by the cold. Feeling embarrassed, he steps away to return to the house until Jaehwan calls him.

“Minhyun... please stay...” Jaehwan choked on his tears “Don’t go Minhyun, please stay with me...” he says with his sad eyes pleads at him. 

Minhyun can reason that it is because of Jaehwan’s commands at him a weeks ago. But he is never someone that will allow himself to be dictated. And he is willing to comply with Jaehwan’s request.

He sits on the ground not far from Jaehwan, with his back leaning on the wall like the boy. He pulls his thin jacket closer, shivering. Without his cloak, the cold weather is freezing his body. Jaehwan doesn’t say anything, as his tears falling silently. There is no sound. It was so silent until they hear the sound of the first snow slowly falling from the sky. Like white crystals, gleaming in a white light as they are falling down, just like the gleams he sees from the boy beside him. And they sat there still until the darkness of the night engulfed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Although it was not written here, Sewoon had done some terrible mistakes in the past. And still carried the burden in his heart. and that person he felt guilty with resemble Jaehwan.  
> -Why do I live? Do you often have the same question?  
> -Alexythimia. Beautiful words to describe a not so beautiful psychiatric condition.
> 
> Comments are very appreciated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.^^


	10. In The Night (revised Chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Night where the full moon is shining, the old memories get recalled. For the past is the farthest, the only way to go back is the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a flop and I made some change in this chapter after I posted it.  
> But I hope I can finally do justice for this story. Thank you very much to everyone who had been sticking with me. TTT  
> A little warning: there will be some violence in this chapter, though I tried hard so it wouldn't be too graphic. But it may still cause an uncomfortableness.  
> This chapter will be divided into a few parts, but I hope you read all the parts, so you can understand it better.  
> Please enjoy~  
> Nb. For the one who's not familiar with EXO: Lay's actual name is Yixing.

**Lay**

 

“DON’T COME ANY NEARER YOU MONSTER!”

Little Yixing never knew how things could go that wrong. The people of The Water Bender Tribe, the spectators of the match were no longer sitting and watching the match; they were surrounding and mocking him, calling him names, with eyes full of anger. At the same time, they were afraid to approach him, to touch him.

“MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!!” People that were surrounding him were chanting and whispering.

He sought his parent’s faces from all of the people. _Where are they?_ Didn’t his mother use to say, how precious he is and how happy his parents were when their prayers to the God was fulfilled? When the God resurrect their son, as he was born blue, pale, and not breathing, didn't his parents said, there was nothing we want more than his!

 _It’s a secret_. Yixing’s mother said to him while smiling and stroked his head lovingly. _We put your lifeless body in the enchanted pool and prayed to God. And you really come back to us! Cute and healthy!_ His mother beamed and kissed his cheeks.

Had it comes to the day where his parents abandoned him like Yixing always dreaded? As the year passed the water bender power never came to him. The warm eyes became colder as the disappointment grew in his father eyes. His parents always fighting in the night, when they thought he was sleeping after once again he was beaten up in a sparring match between the tribe’s children.

He held his tears, as he remembers how his opponent that day, a child his age, mocking him. Your parents will abandon you. We know that they’ve done a big taboo. You’re a cursed child. The dread in his heart was so great, that he didn’t realize how the bruises and scratches he got had healed on the day after.

Where are his parents? Yixing sought for their faces desperately. His face was lite up when he caught the green almond eyes of his mother, only to face a great disappointment when she broke their eye contact.

Then he felt an immense pain tricking his head, and all around him became dark.

\--------------------

 

His opponent sent to him waves of water that hit him continuously. He couldn’t defend himself as he was only armed with a short sword. How can that be of use, if his opponent could attack him from a far distance? Another wave was coming, hit him straightly in the stomach and slammed him to the wall. Some spectators were murmuring if they should stop the match as his body sprawled unmoving on the ground. But the others said that they shouldn’t, as the sparring match was very important to ensure that they will get enough manpower to defend the tribe from other bender tribe and more importantly, from Argentum.

Yixing felt a thousand needles piercing his body. He can’t bear the pain and wanting to scream, but he didn’t even have the energy to do that. As he about to give up, he felt the strange tingling feeling spread from his heart. He could breathe easier and the pain slowly washed away from him.

He heard the doubtful steps of his opponent, coming closer to check on him. The match was important, but killing was forbidden.  

When their distance became close enough, Yixing swung his sword with all of his might. The kid was screaming. He held his hand as his body dropped to the ground and shaking.

All Yixing wanted was to do something for the bleeding child. So without he realized, Yixing approached the boy, clapped his hands around the wound and conjures as much power as he can. When the wound closed, Yixing pulled off his hands and breathed a sigh of relieve.

But it won’t stop. The tissue won’t stop growing. A big bulk of flesh was formed, with vines spreading to every part of the boy’s body. The vines were reaching his torso, his neck, and finally covered the boy’s head as his body convulsing violently. Then it stopped. The flesh had stopped growing, and the boy had stopped moving.

The crowds erupted; the mother of the boy pushed him and hugged the unrecognizable body.

“DON’T TOUCH HIM, YOU, CURSED CHILD! GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!”

\--------------------

 

As he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by miles and miles of snow. And it kept on falling from the sky, erased all kind of trace that was left. White, clear, clean. He was far far away from his water tribes.

 _They abandoned me._ He began to walk, although he had no idea where he must go. _I’m a cursed child_. He cried, but his tears froze right away. His heart was telling him to keep on walking. But the numb feeling crept up. Not long after he began to walk, he lost all of his strength. _They abandoned me_.

His world became dark again.

\------------------

 

Lay gasps for air. He coughs, quickly gets up from his bed and drinks plenty of water, uncaring that the water chokes him and makes him cough even more.

Luhan had suppressed that memory from coming to his sleep when he knew how he almost never sleeps because of the memory of that first death, or the many of deaths after that were caused by him. It took him so long, years and decades, for him to finally master his power. His slowly aging body collected memories from his abnormally long life, make him curse for his power longer than he grateful for it.

It had been so long since that one particular memory came. Lay blames it to Jaehwan. Because of the thing that water bender boys said, the last thing Lay remembered before he went to sleep was the warm blood of Jung Sewoon on his hands. The boy doesn’t understand how big the price he had paid for the healing power.

As his body settles and he is no longer coughing, he sees the snow outside still falling as he approaches the window. The trees and the ground are covered by it, blankets the world with unending white color, like that day. And It was shining because of the full moon above.

 

He feels a familiar dizziness in his head. Luhan is calling.

_...Lay! Lay!_

_Luhan,_ he talks to the person usurping his head. _I thought you promised me to never enter my head without permission!_

 _I TRIED TO TALK TO YOU FOR DAYS BUT YOU IGNORED ME! I AM WORRIED ABOUT YOU!_ Lay can hear Luhan screaming in his head.

_Luhan... Okay, I’m sorry. Stop. Screaming._

_I have urgent news for you! Argentum’s soldiers have been sent everywhere. And they will reach your place in a week. I thought they had given the chase already! But no, they are still seeking!_

_What? Sent Kai here, then! They must go!_ Lay said.

 _...We had no news from Kai for a few days and I can’t reach his mind._ Luhan tries to hide his worry. _It’s not the first time though. He’ll give news in the end!_ Luhan continues quickly. _We’ve sent someone to fetch and brings them to the main headquarters._

 _Just one?_ Lay says in disbelief.

 _It is the only choice we have!_ Luhan protested. _The others aren’t available at the moment!_

 _And do what, exactly?_ Lay scoffed.

_You know how Suho works, he will not tell us the whole plan, but it will work out in the end._

Lay wants to argue, but he decides to keep it in and instead, he groaned, _Okay. I will tell them tomorrow, now get out from my head!_

 _...Lay?_ Luhan carefully ask. _When will you come back? You know your life is also at risk if someone discovers you. We won’t be able to send help if anything happens._

 _You don’t have to worry about me. I got that covered. You know the only reason I’m here is to provide you guys with a safe place to hide if anything happened to our main headquarters._ Lay tiredly reply.

 _Which we won’t have if something goes wrong with you! Keep telling that and you will believe it yourself!_ Luhan hotly replied.

 _Luhan... Cut it_ _out, please._ Lay says warningly.

 _Whatever beef you and Suho got please resolve it quickly_. Luhan stubbornly answers.

 _LUHAN!_ Lay finally screams, _GET OUT FROM MY HEAD!_

 _Lay, I’m just... Look, I’m sorry...It’s so unlike you to get mad like this._ Luhan carefully continues, _I... We...We just missed you. He will not say this, but Suho too._

After those last words, Lay’s head filled with a static voice.

He is thinking about the news that Luhan sent. But the snow outside distracts him once again and he continues on staring at the falling snow for a while.

_What was I tried to do back then? Saving the boy? Or was I indeed trying to kill him?_

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

**Seongwoo**

 

He heard the sound of the wind bells trickling, somewhere far away from him. Nevertheless, he tried to catch the bells, stretching his lead like hands above his head, aiming blindly.

"HE IS WAKING UPPPPPP!!!"

The scream of a little boy that followed by loud feet stomping to a wooden floor was shocked him a lot. Nevertheless, as he tried to lift his head, he felt the world spinning and he didn't have any energy to move.

The loud stomping came again and a boy with cloud covered his eyes, smiling very widely that his mouth stretched from ear to ear. Another foot stomped on the wooden floor following the little boy, belonged to a man with grey hair and dangling earrings which age couldn't be deciphered.

"You've done a great job, Linlin," he said and handed a candy to him that made the boy's eyes grew bigger. Seongwoo frowned, candy was very hard to found, and not only that, it was really expensive. How can the man in front of him get it?

"I'm Yoon Jisung, welcome to the house of der Erste." He smiles warmly, but Seongwoo had learned throughout his life to never trust anyone, especially the one who is smiling. But another thing that he had learned was to hide his own distrust and judgments. So with the only energy he had, he threw even warmer smile that could defeat Jisung's.

\-------------------------

 

“Stop following me!” Daniel sighed. The fire bender had been annoyingly followed him for days. Daniel purposefully went to the forest that the fire bender hated so much, but the annoying man kept on following him. No one answered him, so Daniel threw a rock as big as his fist to the bushes.

“AW! OWWW! WHY, YOU!” Seongwoo finally came out from behind the trees. “No! I wasn’t following you!” Seongwoo said angrily, “Look here, I was collecting fire woods!” He pointed to the fire woods that were scattered around his feet.

“We know that it’s not true, so cut the crap and tell me.” Daniel answers.

“I’ve said that I wasn’t following you!” Seongwoo is stubborn.

“Okay, goodbye to you then. I better not seeing you again” Daniel walked away.

“Wait!” Seongwoo began to catch on him.

“Just stop there, the answer is no.”

Daniel left but Seongwoo run past him and grabbed his shoulder. “I haven’t even asked anything to you!”

Daniel scoffed, the nerve of this fire bender annoyed him “You don’t have to say. It was the same question everybody asked me as soon as they knew what my power is.” Daniel’s face was clearly mocking him “Besides, I thought you were saying that you don’t believe any goo goo magic about the future...”

“Wait, how did you know...” Seongwoo quickly shuts his mouth.

“Whoops, My bad.” Guanlin, a ten years old boy beside him said.

Seongwoo startled. He didn’t hear the Air Bender boy approach them. “When did you..”

“Just because you are moving as silent as a wild boar, doesn’t mean everyone does too.” The boy says calmly.

“Shush. Go away. We'll play later. Now I have to catch...” But the time bender had gone. Seongwoo sighed. It was his tenth attempt to talk to the time bender. The said man always went away and rarely seen in the house.

"What had you done to make him so mad like that?" The air bender boy, Guanlin, tsk-ing at him. "He is usually very nice, and always gives me candy every time he comes back."

"Nothing! Why it has to be my mistake, though? Such a sensitive bastard!" Seongwoo kicked a rock like a spoilt child.

"Seongwoo, language!” Guan Lin gasped. “I’m so gonna report this to Jisung-hyung. You are going to get a trouble.” The boy shook his head because of Seongwoo's ridiculousness.

“Oh, by the way, Jisung-hyung said that he wants to talk to you!" Guan Lin ran back to the house.

“Oh, hey wait, brat! It's a Seongwoo-hyung for you! And wait for me! I don’t know which way to go back!” Seongwoo ran pursuing the boy.

\---------------------

 

“You reject Jisung-hyung request.” Said the time bender the matter of factly.

“So we are talking now?” Seongwoo smirked. “Look. I’m really thankful to you guys. But what Jisung is planning to do is beyond ridiculous. Breaking into Argentum’s prison? And the Norden one, on top of that?” Seongwoo groaned in exasperation.

 “It is my plan,” Daniel said solemnly. “And if I said it can be done, it will be. Me and Jisung-hyung, we were the people of the wall. You think that the huge wall is impenetrable, right? But it isn’t. And we are the proof of that.”

“Impossible! You must be lying to me. I never heard anyone ever escaped from Village of the Wall. Or breached.” Seongwoo gasped with disbelief.

“And you also never heard any Bender escaped from the facility, but what are you then? They had blinded you, blinded us. That is exactly what they want us to think! They aren't undefeatable, Seongwoo-ssi. And they are getting weaker by the day. And what I planned to do, will make them even weaker. We will strike them down.”

Seongwoo shook his head “You’re crazy. After years getting trapped in that place, I don't want any nearer to ever come near to Argentum again. No.” and walk away from Daniel.

“Except...” Seongwoo stopped. “Except if you fulfill my wish. Tell me about my future and I'll help you.”

Daniel firm face was disturbed. “Nothing good will come from you knowing the future, Seongwoo-ssi. Nothing's good ever comes true. Ask me anything but that, please." Daniel’s voice is desperate and sad

“Then our discussion end here. I’ll go from this place. I won’t join your pointless adventure and I don’t want to bother you all anymore.” Seongwoo is stubborn.

“Wait.” Daniel caved in. "Is that really the only wish you had?"

"Yes," Seongwoo's face was hard. Nothing can make him think the other way.

“I’ll answer your question. But promise me that you will help us until the end. Promise me!”

Seongwoo's eyes were full of determination. “I promise you. I will help you and Jisung, until the end.”

Daniel stared at Seongwoo's eyes as if he was seeking something. Then his eyes were changed, black and hollow like a deep hole. But before Seongwoo could ask what was happening to the time bender, the light in his eyes came back. There was slight perspiration on his temple and he was breathing heavily. Daniel stared at Seongwoo again and shook his head "I'll take your promise." even though he sounded like he doubted Seongwoo. 

Seongwoo didn't realize this. His focus was only on the question he about to ask Daniel. He gulped hard, “Now tell me, tell me where my mother is now? Tell me, can I meet her again? Tell me...”

Daniel sighed, “I don’t know where your mother is. It is beyond my capabilities.” His eyes looked sad, “What I can only this: You will meet someone from your past and someone from your future. And...” Daniel looked reluctant to continue, “And you have to make a choice. You can’t have both of them.”

Seongwoo face was brightened up, “Someone from my past? You mean my mother right? I will meet my mother again, right? I don’t care about whom I’ll meet in the future.”

“You don’t have to make the decision now..." Daniel looked at Seongwoo with pity, "Your future... He’ll be the one to calm you down and set you free from loneliness. And...”

“No. I will still choose my past!” Seongwoo cut Daniel stubbornly. 

“And He’ll be the most beautiful and dearest person in your eyes!” Daniel persistently said. “Please think about it more, Seongwoo-ssi. He'll make you happy!” he pleads.

“HE CAN BE JUST DEAD FOR ALL I CARE!”  Seongwoo was red with anger.

“MY MOTHER...” Seongwoo’s tears threatened to spill out, so he clenched his hands “All that she had done for me... All that I've done to her... I don’t deserve any future.” Blood was seeping from Seongwoo’s fist, because of how hard he clenched his hands.

Daniel closed his eyes, resigned. Had he done everything he could? But there's nothing he could do or say to change the stubborn Fire Bender. “If that is your decision...” Daniel opened his eyes. It was deep and hollow again. “With this, your future is locked.”

 ---------------

 

Seongwoo wakes up from his dream and wipes the tears that are flowing from his eyes. But his tears are flowing even more, without he can’t stop. And his heart is hurting, though he doesn't understand the reason why.

After the tears are no longer falling, he looks around the room. His sight falls into the figure of the water bender that was sleeping on the bed beside the window. The light of the full moon falls on the boy makes him looks shining.

The boy looks worn out. His cheeks are still wet with tears, stained with dirt, and his eyelids look swollen. Suddenly the boy is shuddering. He stirs in his sleep. It looks like he gets a disturbing dream, then his blanket falls to the floor.

Seongwoo approaches the boy and put back the blanket carefully, afraid that it will wake the boy up, covering all of Jaehwan’s body, until only his head was seen. Seongwoo sits beside him. In his sleep, Jaehwan is snuggling closer to him.

Carefully, Seongwoo touches Jaehwan’s hair and treading it between his fingers. It was soft, like what he had imagined before. Then, he trails his finger to Jaehwan’s face, almost touching his skin.

The boy stirs again and he mumbles on something Seongwoo couldn't decipher. Startled, Seongwoo pulls his hands. As he is waiting for the boy to settles again, he feels a strange feeling coming into his heart. He wants to touch, he wants to caress the boy so much, hold the boy close to him, keep him away from anyone. So Seongwoo draws his face close to the boy’s face.

Before his face can touch the boy’s, a memory flashed his head. The memory of that day, of how the soldier became dry and grey after Jaehwan held the soldier’s ankle with his hands. So he stopped. But he draws his lips close to Jaehwan’s ear and whispers softly, “If you were crying so hard like this, why you don’t come to me, Hwan-ah... You should have only come to me.” He threads Jaehwan’s hair again and watches the sleeping boy with a small smile etched on his face.  

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

**Jaehwan**

 

Jaehwan was shocked to find himself in that room again. He didn’t think that Jisung, the Mind Bender will call him again so fast.

The mind room, Jisung called it. There was nothing special about the room when he was alone. It was just an approximately three times four meters room with barely any light. It would be completely dark if not because of the blue light from a window not far from him. Even here, far away from the actual blue light, the cold feeling caused by the light creeps on his body, as he sees the blue light stirring and pulsing like heartbeats as if it was alive.

The pulsing light made him nauseous, and he felt the familiar impending panic that became harder and harder to bear the longer he stays there. It would not take too long, Jaehwan assures himself. The Mind Bender will come in any second.

Just when he was about to give up, the dark wall and blue light wavered and transformed into a foreign scenery: He was standing in the middle of a wet dirt road, as if it had just rained. The row of big trees that were lining up on its side looked wet because of the rain. Jaehwan could even almost smell the scent of the wet soil.

And then the shades of the falling leaves caught his eyes. They were painted in red, orange, brown yellow. Jaehwan stretched his hands above his head, trying to catch one of the leaves that falling to the wet ground, wanting to feel the smoothness of its surface. But just before the red leaf touches his hand, it was gone.

He dropped his hand, feeling embarrassed of himself. Just for a second, he forgot that he was still in his own head, _or was it Jisung’s?_  He forgot that things there was just product of the minds. None of it was real.

At the end of the road, he could see a blonde-haired tall man with a buff body and broad shoulder. As the man comes near him, he can see a mole below the man’s right eyes and a set of dangling earrings in his left ear.

“Jaehwan....” The man nodded solemnly at him, without any smile adorning his handsome face.

Jaehwan remembered that he is the time-bender, one of the three men that Jisung brought to meet him a few days ago. He wondered what made the man decided to meet him there alone, without Jisung.

“Yes, Daniel-ssi, what is it” Jaehwan smile at the man didn’t falter because of Daniel’s cold expression.

“I’ve heard from Jisung that you looking for a certain man. And it will be your condition to join us.”

“Yes, your right.” Said Jaehwan, he confused with where this conversation was going to head to.

Daniel looked at Jaehwan's eyes, straight, without blinking. At the moment, Jaehwan couldn't let go of the deep and hollow gaze. Quite a few time was passed, and Daniel's breathing became heavy and heavier. And just about when Daniel's about to falter, he gasped so hard like he had just emerged from the deep water. He stared at Jaehwan like it was the first time seeing him.

"You will find the man you are looking for after we break free from the prison and go to the Gate of Justice at the 6th night," finally Daniel said, still sounds breathless. "Your eyes won’t see him, but you will find him,”

“Thank...” Jaehwan about to say.

But DanieI cut Jaehwan, “But you can’t." His voice was dark and filled with anger "You shouldn't! You must go another way. You can’t meet him. I’ve seen through all the variables, and he will be, most certainly, the reason for your demise. Either by his own hands or indirectly.”

Firmly Jaehwan said. “The future is not something that written yet. It doesn’t have to end up like that! I will believe in him.” 

“You said you believe him? He, someone that you never even met before?” Daniel scoffed.

“Even if it is going to end up like that, I will still choose to find him.” Jaehwan continues, “You don’t have to feel responsible for this. I will not blame you.”

Daniel’s face reddened; the boy knew exactly how he feels. “Don’t be stupid! You will still be alive if you go another way! No one will blame you for that!” Daniel said.

“I will. I will blame myself for that. I have to meet him.” Jaehwan said to Daniel with a small smile. "It's a promise."

“Forget that silly promise! Why are you being so stubborn like this? Why is he worth more than your life? Your own freedom? You can finally be free from this-only-god-know-how-long-it-is confinement and finally, have your own life!” Daniel is now downright angry.

“Will I, really, Daniel-ssi? Is it really like that outside? Are you really free to being outside?” Jaehwan was eyeing him sadly.

Daniel looked dumbfounded. He shook his head and didn’t answer.

Jaehwan continued, “Will I at least able to help Jisung reach his goal before I die then?”

 “No,” Daniel answered shortly with his head looking at the ground.

“Then why did you tell me this? I think he wouldn’t be happy that you said it to me. You can just lie to me.”

“Maybe... Maybe it’s because I want to believe that somehow I can change the destiny? And for once, not just being a spectator of misfortune.” Daniel’s eyes are downcasted. “Maybe, I just want to believe that this power will actually worth something. But no. It’s useless." He said bitterly.

Daniel regained his composure, "So, this is your final decision then?”

Jaehwan nodded firmly.

“And with this, the future is locked.”

After Daniel said the words, the corners of Jaehwan’s view was darkened. Their surroundings were beginning to change. The room had a time limit and they clearly reached it. The bright colors were fading, and Daniel who was standing in front of him became more and more transparent.

“He is really cruel, isn’t he? Bind us with promises when he left us just like that.“ Daniel’s voice was so low, Jaehwan can barely hear him, "Never, can I see him ever again," but Jaehwan knew, it was full of sadness. He wished he could see Daniel’s face, but the dark colors spread everywhere, covered his face.

It got even darker until he was alone and his consciousness began to falters. All is dark.

\----------------

 

Startled, Jaehwan opens his eyes and the familiar wooden ceiling of Lay’s house greets him.

 _I wasn’t there… I’m out… I’m already out._ Repeatedly he says that to himself, _It was a dream, I'm out..._ as he is trying to even his racing heart and breathe. The dream was so vivid; he almost could feel the cold blue liquid in between his hand.

After he is calmer, he realized that his body was drenched with sweats. It never happened to him. His body is always cold like ice. It must be because of his friend, the fire bender, Jaehwan thinks. Being with Seongwoo, finally, Jaehwan can understand the meaning of warm. A word that was strange and elusive to him.

But as he gets up from his bed and looking at Seongwoo’s direction, he could see his friend is still sleeping. His back is moving rhythmically. _Why does it be so hot?_ The window beside his bed is even slightly open, and some of the falling snow seeping in between the window sill to his bed.

Attracted by the falling snow outside, Jaehwan could see that it is gleaming with light, reflecting the full moon’s radiance. As if being possessed by the moon, Jaehwan gets up from his bed and out of his room.

As he enters the yards, the falling snow greets him. Moving and twirling, as if they were dancing. A memory flashed in his head. A very distant memory about one place, far, so long long ago. Where it had always been cold and white. Where the snow never stopped falling. And as a melody from the old time began to enter his mind, he sings.

 

******************************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

**Minhyun**

 

“That is the man you’ve been looking for.”

The man behind him, his senior in the military of a quite high rank whispered the words behind him. His mouth was so close, that he can smell rotten fish coming from his mouth, almost made Minhyun gagged as he plastered his body way too close for Minhyun liking.

There almost nothing he wanted other than to pierce his swords through the man’s body. But he must ignore the way that man caressed his shoulder with his grubby hands. Or the man’s touch on his body from some of the nights that were still left a mark on him. No matter how much he washed after that, no matter how red his skin became from far too many and too intense scrubbing.

He had to focus on what was going on in front of him. His obsession, the very reason he was willing to take every drastic measure. The reason he went all the way to the dreaded Norden Prison that no other soldier from his province dared to go, even though Argentum’s Army had been promising them a large sum of money.

Even though there were no lamps turned on in that room, it was lighted with the bright round full moon, that day was the day of Super Moon. It was illuminating the people far down, far from the place he was standing; a very high railing balcony.

He saw the hooded figures far down; white mask covering all of their faces not even leaving any hole for their nose to breathe. Even though he was far above them, he could feel creeps on his neck, as they were surrounding an unconscious man who is sitting on a chair that had his arms, hand, and feet being bounds by it with large heavy chains. 

Standing in front of them were other three figures. The man in the middle moved, and he could see his silver hair, so beautiful, shining and gleaming with silver light around it, just like the bright moon that shined upon them.

Just like that, Minhyun knew. 

“Is that him?” Minhyun asked impatiently as he leaned his body closer to the railing. He couldn’t see the silver-haired man’s face, as he has his slouching back turned away from Minhyun.

“Wait!” His superior hissed putting his big, calloused hand on Minhyun’s torso, almost in an intimate manner that makes Minhyun wants to chop the hand right away. “We could get into big troubles if anyone finds us here. We should just go back!”

“No!” Minhyun hissed with panic.

It was so close. He was so close.

Minhyun gulped hard. He didn’t throw away his dignity and self-worth just for it to end this way. He then changed his voice to a soft velvety voice. “What kind of trouble do you mean?” He held his sunbae’s face with his hand. “Everybody respects you here. These people can’t be compared to you.”

Minhyun held himself from vomiting.

Unexpectedly, his superior was staring sternly at him. Minhyun could see fear shadowing his eyes. “These people are different. You wouldn’t want to cross them. They won’t know any form of negotiation… I warn you…“

But he was cut with a high splitting scream from the crowds below them. The man bounded in the chair was no longer unconscious. He was thrashing about in his chair.

Minhyun knew how hard the chains can hold. It wonders him; how much force the once unconscious man emits to make the chains shake like that. The man’s eyes were blown open and Minhyun can see all the white part of his eyes. It was the expression he would not be able to erase from his head forever. As though someone had pulled that man’s face muscle, as though he had seen the angel of the death in front of him.

The silver-haired man stretched his hands towards the prisoner's face, and engulfing his face with it, as though he wanted to caress and comfort the prisoner. But why was he so afraid of that beautiful gesture? 

What he saw next nearly drained his blood from his body; he can see that the prisoner no longer moving about. His limbs were suddenly limped uselessly as soon as the silver-haired man touched his face. The color in his body slowly began to fades away, starting from his limbs and slowly climbing up, to his face. He was losing his color and became grey like ashes.

Dry and unmoving. Just like Jonghyun’s body that was lying on the coffin.

Minhyun was raged, and unconsciously leaning his body to the front wanting to get a clearer look at Jonghyun’s murderer, causing the railing to squeak.

The hooded figures were alarmed and one of them said, “Who is there?”

The silver-haired man turned his head. But much to Minhyun’s dismay, before he could see the silver-haired man’s face, his senior already dragged him down, flat to the ground. Minhyun struggled to escape from his senior grip.

He needs to see that man’s face. He needs to see that man’s face... He needs...

But the man above him was very strong as he was bigger and burlier. He covered Minhyun’s mouth and nose to prevent him from making any sound.

“It’s just the wind.” Minhyun could hear another voice answered. ”Let’s finish our work here.” After that he heard a sickening sound of a body that being thrown crashed into a metal surface. It then followed by steps of people walking away.

Just before Minhyun was losing his consciousness, his senior finally released his grip. Minhyun could tell it was coming, but he didn’t dodge and let his senior slapped him so hard he could feel his left cheek is stinging and blood trickling from the side of his lips.

“You! Son of a Fehlen Mud!” His senior hissed, still didn’t dare to make a loud sound. His face was very red from anger, he still wanted to throw another beating, Minhyun knows. “Why did I even agreeing to a whore from slumps!”

Minhyun felt his rage burning; he imagined his twin sword penetrates the man’s stomach. For all the big talk he spewed, he was slow and very easy to read. Afraid that his voice would betray him, he said nothing, only watching the grounds.

“What are you looking at? Come to my room tonight. You better watch how you behave or I won’t fulfill your request anymore!” That tall burly man walked away from Minhyun.

He only needed a little bit more patience. Then he will end it all.

\-----------------------

 

Beside a sleeping figure of a tall and burly man, there was Minhyun who viciously eyed the man. Disgust was apparent in his eyes. The man had been so rough to him, took him with a brutal force, not even slightly cared that he may break Minhyun’s body.

Minhyun seethed the man’s sword, not wanting to get his precious twin sword touched that filthy man and with quick moves, he penetrates the man’s stomach with a quick succession, followed by another, and another, and another, until the bed becomes wet because of the pooling blood in the bed.

 _What an appropriate end for a pig_ , Minhyun sneered.

\----------------------

 

Minhyun woke up with a painful ache from his head. He was dreaming that he killed his superior. It’s ridiculous. He hated that man so much but he wouldn’t do so because he was the only ticket for meeting the silver-haired man.

Still, with pain in his head, he lifted his body slowly and massaged his temple with his hand.

It felt weird.

There was a weird sticky substance that made his hands wet. And that room smelt funny, a pungent metallic smell. As his senses came back, he realized that the weird sticky feeling was not only in his hand but almost in all of his body.

Dreaded, Minhyun didn’t dare to take a look at his side, but a strong magnetic force made him do that. And the sight he saw made him straight up vomiting: the lifeless body of his superior in the middle of a pool of blood.

Minhyun backed away hastily, his body dropped from the bed, but he didn’t care.

_No_

He heaved once again, but nothing came out from his stomach this time.

_Not me._

_I didn’t do that._

_Never._

_I’m not a killer._

_No no no..._

With haste, Minhyun got up although he felt no energy in his feet and wiped his body with anything he could found. Stumbled with something he couldn’t see, Minhyun wasted no time and wore his clothes. Without any clear direction, he ran away from that room.

His head was full of denial. 

_IT WASN'T ME!_

\------------------------------ 

 

Minhyun wakes up with sweats all over his body as if he was running for a long time. His heart is hammering so wildly. Without warning, he vomits. The feeling, the pungent smell is so vivid like when he was in that room.

He used to always dream about that every night. But as much as he hates living with the Macht, the dream had never appeared before this.

_It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me_

_I’m not a killer. Not a killer. Not a killer..._

Minhyun is chanting in his head. He gets up and scrambled through the room, seeks for his twin sword.

The cold feeling of the metal on his skin calms him down. Until he sees his reflection in the sword: There was no sign of dreadfulness, his eyes are twinkling with glee and his mouth forms a smirk.

 _Are you really not a killer?_ A voice sneers in his head, Jonghyun’s voice. _You hate him. And thankfully, the pig is dead!_ The voice chuckled happily.

He drops the precious twin sword to the ground, as he felt another wave of vomit coming.

Then Minhyun heard a faint sound, someone is singing. With a staggered step, Minhyun walks to the window and opens it.

Outside, the snow falling softly, drowning the sound of the Water Bender’s singing as he walks around in the backyard. The falling snow that is surrounding him twirling, whirling, as if it’s dance to his voice.

Minhyun quickly runs outside the house, abandoning the twin sword that was dropped on the floor. When he opens the door, Jaehwan is still walking between the falling snows that are lighted by the full moon hanging above them. He thought that if Jaehwan is surrounded by all the white, his light wouldn't be seen. But here he was, standing between the snows. His radiance shines brighter than ever.

"Jaehwan..." Minhyun calls the water bender boy with a soft voice, almost like a whisper. His hand is already stretched halfway, wanting to reach for the boy. But shame and regrets wash over Minhyun as he remembers about his past. The grave thing that he had done that night and nights after that.

He wants to cry, he wants to tell the boy all the things that are burdening him. But if he let himself indulge the boy, would he defile the pure boy with his stains? Or would the white light cleans him, and makes him whole again? Would the boy understands him, forgive him, and smile at him with the beautiful smile he always shows to Minhyun? Doubtful with his thinking, he let his hand fall.

But Jaehwan stopped in his tracks and turned around, "Yes, hyung?" Jaehwan is facing him, tilting his head and smiling at him. His face is full of worry, as he sees Minhyun's pale face and approaches him. "What is happening to you? Are you okay?"

Without he's thinking, Minhyun runs to the boy, hugs the boy tightly as if he never wants to let the boy go. 

 But his strength is diminishing. He feels lightheaded, as if his energy was seeping away from his body. He is surrounded by the darkness when finally his conciousness is faltering.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

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**Jonghyun**

 

Jonghyun regurgitated more of his stomach content, though there was no longer any food, only acid bile fluid came out. He was still feeling dizzy, nauseous, and he didn’t know how to erase that feeling from his body. But I don’t deserve any relieve, he thinks. For in the course of years he stayed in the Norden Prison, he had done a lot of horrendous things he never thought he could do.

The old self-righteous Jonghyun would never do things like this. His current self is exactly the kind of person that the old self-righteous him despises and will fight. So where did his old self-go? Why did he become like this?

It is not your fault, his brain told him. You have no other choice and the monsters deserve exactly what they got.

But Jonghyun’s heart knew that he was only fooling himself. Because if his current self-was right, why can’t he open Minhyun’s letter that had been stacking in one of his drawers? Why had he never come back to his homeland, the Westen Province, where Minhyun still waiting for him, begging for him to come home.

Because he knew, he can’t face the look of adoration in Minhyun’s face. The boy who always think of him in the highest regard and view Jonghyun as his role models. For all the things that he had done, can the boy see pass through of his facade, and see the drench of blood in his hand?

The knock from his door brought him out from his mind. He washed his face quickly, erasing all the exhaustion in his face, and set a mask of cold indifference in it. He can’t let anyone know his doubts. Here, doubting means death.

What he saw when he opened his door shocked him that he almost can’t set his usually stoic face. Two tall black hooded men with a white mask covering their face entirely were standing in front of him.

“The Superintendent is waiting for you.” Jonghyun wasn’t sure which from the men talks to him. Because he can’t see the men’s lips and they had barely even move. “Come with us.” The man's voice was low and sounds more like a grumble, sending creeps to his body. And without waiting for him, the two figures walked away.

The two men leading in front of him with fixed steps, fixed speed, as if they were controlled, to an obscure black door that leading to a long hallway. Jonghyun prides himself as someone who had a sharp memory, so he tried to remember the way they took; left in the first fork, straight at the T-junction, left again after passing around the hall. But they kept on walking, deeper and deeper, and some hallway didn’t even have any light. So after a while, he lost it. Fear grew more and more in him. Did the military finally deemed him unuseful and discard him?

But finally, they reached a great hall, lighten only with dim blue light that came from the side of the rooms. Jonghyun shivers, he knew the only thing that could produce blue light like that and he didn’t like it at all. The acid fluid from his stomach threatened to come out again. But he must be strong.

A man approached him from one of the corners of the room. He was a very tall man with a gangly body, his set of shoulders was hunched. In a first glance, the man didn’t look impressive, but Jonghyun knew it was just a facade. He had seen the smiles line in the man’s face pulled to a wrath of a grimace. How the man in front of him can crush and kill a person without a blink. His Superintendent.

In front of him, there was a tall cylinder, filled with a blue liquid that was stirring and moving. It was almost similar to all the cylinder he had seen before. Only somehow it looked much older and more impressive due to an intricate design on both of its end. And like any other cylinder that he had seen before, there was a person inside it. A boy, that caught his eyes instantly, looked no older than eighteen years old, dressed in a black garment. His eyes were closed, he is not moving and his face was impassive, but his brown hair swirled because of the movement of the blue liquid.

 _Beautiful._ Jonghyun couldn't help himself from saying that.

His Superintendent laughed. "A good pair of eyes I see."

Jonghyun resisted a blush from appearing on his face. He didn't realize he uttered the word with a loud voice.

“No need to feel embarrassed. A beauty of an Angel needs to be appreciated. But don't fall too hard on him, behind the beauty there always thorns. He is der Todes Engel after all." said his Superintendent with enamored eyes.

"Welcome Jonghyun-ssi, I’ve read and heard about your track records. I will not waste any more time to tell you that I’m impressed with you.” His Superintendent shook his hand firmly. “We decided that you are trustable enough to guard our most precious possession!”

His Superintendent handed over a stack of documents. He read the title of the first page, "Jaehwan." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- How is it? I gave few hints here and there from the previous chapters. And Jonghyun's part is the confirmation. Yes, Jaehwan didn't find Minhyun by chance and this was the reason why he is so protective towards Minhyun.  
> \- Minhyun dropped his precious sword to the ground and abandon it. An indication that he had moved forward, although it will take longer for him to realize it. Obviously, Minhyun is wrong and Jaehwan is not an innocent, pure, boy. Minhyun is actually the most innocent one. Poor Minhyun, he knows nothing when he thought he knew everything.  
> \- I originally didn't want to make a triangle. But... I guess it is just too hard to resist.  
> -Daniel and Seongwoo character, actually I was confused, which of them match a Fire Bender character? But in my eyes, Daniel always looked aloof and mysterious. I couldn't see him in a fiery Fire Bender Character.  
> -The one that Daniel means, is obviously, not Minhyun. The main character here is Jaehwan.  
> \- After Argentum took the world, there were still some benders living outside the confinement of the wall, scattered everywhere through the earth. Argentum's people call them Rogue. After getting destroyed, the survivor of the Bender Countries formed different tribes, more divided than ever. And even if they had the same enemy, Argentum, Air/Water/Fire/Earth bender still view each other as an enemy. Groups, where different benders can work together like Suho's or Jisung's, are exceptions.  
> \- There are many similarities between Lay and Jaehwan. I spoilered some facts about Jaehwan in Lay's.  
> \- People said great power comes with great price. It is the case for every character here.  
> \- I use past form for the events happen in the past/ memory from past events and present form for the events in the actual timeline. I was jumping around the timeline, so I hope it wasn't confusing. TTT
> 
> Nb. I really like NielHwan, and moreover, a NielHwanCham. But let me cry for the missing opportunity of MinHwan collabs, or the fact that Minhyun chose Jaehwan from the beginning till the end, and how Minhyun looked disappointed and sad (well, in my eyes, he was). *Crieeess
> 
> Thank you for reading! I would really appreciate any comments about this chapter/story! I really wanted to know any feedback from the readers.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much @mapachi for encouraging me to write this. I hope you'll patiently read it even if it's not your favorite pairing. It's not actually the fic that I told you before, but somehow this dongsaeng manage to comes out first.


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